Plastics Today

Nearshoring report Business trends Fakuma 2015
Molders move to Mexico Making sustainability pay Show preview
SEPTEMBER 2015
Get Smarter: What Industry 4.0

means for global plastics processors
Making it in medical molding
Rise of the robots

WWW.PLASTICSTODAY.COM
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editoRs letteR
Caution: Disruption ahead

BoB Dylan saiD it BestHe not busy being born is busy Headquarters sales representatives
uBM Canon Brand director
dyingand the tech industry put it more bluntlyinnovate 2901 28th St., Ste. 100 John Guadagno
or diebut either way the message is clear. For individuals as Santa Monica, CA 90405 Phone: (203) 523-7091
Phone: (310) 445-4200 Fax: (877) 747-4001
for companies, embracing change is an existential imperative. john.guadagno@ubm.com
Thats why our cover story, Industry 4.0: Smartening up the editorial ContaCts
factory of the future, in my view, demands your attention. editor in Chief account executive
Norbert Sparrow West Coast
Industry 4.0 sits at the confluence of ubiquitous, cheap Phone: (310) 445-4275 Tony Marsh
norbert.sparrow@ubm.com Phone: (310) 445-3725
sensor technology, unbridled connectivity and the Internet tony.marsh@ubm.com
of things. It is, in the fullest sense of the term, a disruptive
Managing editor
technology. As analysts from Deloitte wrote in a recent report Kari Embree account executive
kari.embree@ubm.com Joe Rosado
on Industry 4.0, The widespread adoption by manufactur- Phone: (203) 523-7057
ing industry around the world of information and commu- joe.rosado@ubm.com
Contributing editor/u.s.
nications technology is now paving the way for disruptive Clare Goldsberry
clarewrite@aol.com europe, Middle east,
approaches to development, production and the entire logistics south america
chain. This networking within an Internet of things, services, Hermann Plank
Contributing editor/asia Phone: (480) 704-3273
data and people will transform the future of manufacturing. Stephen Moore hp@tecnokal.com
In fact, many experts define Industry 4.0 as the fourth stephen@intercedent-asia.com
industrial revolution, one that will enable the reindustrializa- Japan

Contributing editor/europe Katsuhiro Ishii
tion of the West, writes Karen Laird in our cover story. Get- Karen Laird Phone: +81 (3) 5691 3335
karen@plasticsinnovations.com Fax: +81 (3) 5691 3336
ting to that end point wont be a simple process, however. amskatsu@dream.com
In the plastics industry, where the use of industrial, auto-
CirCulation
mated MES and ERP systems is by no means commonplace india
Jill Anderson A.D. Nagpurkar
and a six-axis robot is generally considered the height of Jill.anderson@teamkm.com Phone: +91 (22) 2529 5725
sophisticated automation, Industry 4.0 and all that it entails ajitn@vsnl.com
remains a highly theoretical concept for many processors, reprints & list rentals
Wrights Media China, taiwan and Hong Kong
writes Laird. Among machine and systems developers, how- Rudy Teng
Nick Lademarco
ever, it is already a reality. Plastics processing systems are Phone: (877) 652-5295 Phone: +886 (2) 2799 3100
sales@wrightsmedia.com rudy.teng@hintoninfo.com
equipped with an increasing amount of automation technol-
ogy that enable them to communicate and process data by statlistiCs Korea
themselves, and these smart machines, in combination with Young Media
Jennifer Felling, postal lists
Phone: +82 (2) 2273 4818
(203) 778-8700 x138
the far-reaching possibilities for machine-to-machine com- j.felling@statlistics.com ymedia@chol.com
munication, are leading to more automated processes, self-
monitoring, and results in real time, notes Laird. So, you MarKeting
Turk Hassan, E-lists
(203) 778-8700 x144 Marketing Manager
might have the building blocks of a smart factory running on t.hassan@statlistics.com Steven Carlisle
your shop floor right now. Youre just not using them to their Phone: (310) 445-8523
steven.carlisle@ubm.com
full potential.
Turn to page 18 now, and find out why you should, before
the fourth industrial revolution passes you by.
Norbert Sparrow
norbert.sparrow@ubm.com
4 Global Plastics RePoRt 2015 Plasticstoday.com
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The World of ENGEL
Injecting innovation with comprehensive
injection molding solutions
ENGEL is the worlds largest producer of injection

molding equipment, with eight manufacturing facilities
and worldwide sales, service and support. Stable.
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to our customers throughout North America.
ENGEL is not just a machine manufacturer. We are a

creator of solutions that address the specic and
often changing needs of our customer markets.
Large automotive parts to intricate medical and electronic
components. Precision optical products to multi-material
composites and every type of packaging. ENGEL has
injection molding solutions that meet the most challenging
demands for product quality and production efkciency.
With global resources ENGEL North America has what

it takes to be your partner for success.
ENGEL Machinery Inc. | 3740 Board Road | York | PA 17406

phone 717 764 6818 | fax 717 764 8093
sales.us@engelglobal.com | www.engelglobal.com
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sePtembeR 2015
Contents
4 editoRs letteR
14 10 bReakthRouGhs
The plastics industry has seen several exciting innovations so far
this year. Here, we provide a snapshot of the some of the latest and
greatest technologies.
14 mexiCos manufaCtuRinG boom luRes

u.s. moldeRs
18 A shortage of quality molders south of the border and OEM demand
for a regionalized supply base are creating tremendous opportunities
for plastics processors. But making the move is not without risk.
18 industRy 4.0: smaRteninG uP the

faCtoRy of the futuRe
Ubiquitous sensor technology, cyber-physical systems and human-
22 machine interfaces are ushering in the fourth industrial revolution.
22 Rise of the Robots: China automates

to maintain its Global ComPetitiveness
In 2014, China surpassed Japan to become the worlds largest
market for industrial robots.
26 26 makinG it in mediCal moldinG

Outsourcing to the medical technology industry is growing at double
digits. Thats good news for contract molders . . . if they can meet the
rigorous demands of OEMs.
30 PostConsumeR ReCyClinG: it takes a

villaGe
Postconsumer recycling may be the savior for the plastic pollution
30 crisis, but it doesnt come without its challenges.
6 Global PlastiCs RePoRt 2015 PlastiCstoday.Com
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SEE WHAT YES BUILT.
There is no challenge we will say no to. Because we know that
with the widest range of products, technologies, expertise and
services, there is no solution we cant conceive. Contact us to
see how our philosophy of Yes has reshaped the very fabric of
our brand.
Explore all thats possible with injection, extrusion, blow molding,

co-injection, hot runner systems, mold technologies, process
control equipment and uids.
New high precision and high cavity mold bases for medical
Visit www.milacron.com and packaging applications.
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Contents
32 makinG sustainability Pay

Sustainable business practices can be a driver of success, but they
require companies to change the way they do things, which is never
easy.
40 miCRo-moldinG 101: ensuRinG

32 manufaCtuRability
As parts and features shrink, the micro-molding processing window
narrows, creating a host of manufacturability challenges.
42
42 smooth PaCkaGe Gives CoveRGiRl an
effiCienCy edGe
A finessed structural design for the new UltraSmooth foundation
blister package elevates the consumer experience, delivers key
production advantages and performs in existing retail displays.
44 bReathinG new life into biomateRials

Material scientists are learning to program biomaterials, giving them
the ability to better interface with the body.
48 additive manufaCtuRinG oPtimizes

ConfoRmal CoolinG
44 Additive manufacturing eliminates the limitations of conventional
machining techniques in the design of cooling channels.
50 fakuma Goes fRom stRenGth to stRenGth

The international plastics event has been sold out since February 2015.
60 new PRoduCts
48 64 Global PlastiCs diReCtoRy 2015
65 adveRtiseR index
66 PaRtinG shot
The recent stock market slide is bringing to light some truths that
have long been suspected by manufacturers and economists alike:
The emperor is naked.
50 Cover design by Prakash Barnabas/ Background - Dirk Freder/alacatr istock
8 Global PlastiCs RePoRt 2015 PlastiCstoday.Com
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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Breakthroughs
Flexible dielectric polymer a candidate for
energy storage
Easy to manufacture, low cost, Dielectrics are materials that do not
lightweight and flexible, a new type of conduct electricity, but when they are
dielectric polymer that can operate at exposed to an electric field, they store
high temperatures may be the solution to electricity. They can release energy very
energy storage and power conversion in quickly to enable engine start-ups or to
electric vehicles and other high tempera- convert the direct current in batteries to
ture applications, according to a team of the alternating current needed to drive
engineers at Pennsylvania State Univer- motors.
sity (University Park, PA). Applications, such as hybrid and elec-
Ceramics are usually the [material tric vehicles, aerospace power electronics
of] choice for energy-storage dielectrics The flexible material features high voltage capabil- and underground gas and oil explora-
ity and heat resistance.
for high-temperature applications, but tion equipment, require materials that
they are heavy and often brittle, says composite can reportedly withstand tem- withstand high temperatures. The cross-
Qing Wang, professor of materials sci- peratures above 480F under the applica- linked polymer nanocomposite material
ence and engineering at Penn State. tion of high voltages. has high-voltage capacity for energy stor-
Polymers, on the other hand, have a low The material is easily manufactured age at elevated temperatures and can also
working temperature and so you need to by mixing the polymer and nanosheets be photo patterned and is flexible.
add a cooling system, increasing the vol- and then curing the polymer either Our next step is to try to make this
ume and affecting system efficiency and with heat or light to create crosslinks. material in large scale and put it into a
reliability, notes Wang. Because the nanosheets are tiny real application, said Wang. In terms of
To overcome this heat resistance about 2 nanometers in thickness and sheet size, theoretically, there is no exact
issue, the Penn State team selected cross- 400 nanometers in lateral sizethe scalability limit, he adds.
linked divinyltetramethyldisiloxane-bis material remains flexible, but the The U.S. Office of Naval Research,
(benzocyclobutene) as the matrix poly- combination provides unique dielec- U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific
mer. Boron nitride nanosheets are added tric properties, which include higher Research and Dow Chemical Corp. sup-
at a dosage of 10% by volume to impart voltage capability, heat resistance and ported this work.
conductivity. This boron nitride polymer bendability. Stephen Moore
The booze version of Keurig,

but with recyclable pods
Single-serve machines have just gotten clable, which even the inventor of the
a bit more grown-up with the latest addi- popular coffeemaker bemoans.
tion to the marketthe Bartesian. The Consumers supply their own alcohol
Canadian mixed cocktail machine elimi- in reservoirs on each side of the machine,
nates the time spent mixing up drinks, which can store four base liquors. To
so hosts can spend more time with their make a drink, they just pop one of six
Alcohol is stored in reservoirs on the side of the
guests instead of shaking and stirring. different cocktail pods into the machine, machine. The capsules convert it into a cocktail.
So how does it work? The machine adjust the flavor strength on a digital
operates almost exactly like the Keurig screen and press a button to begin the you dont have to worry about leaving a tip
single-serve coffeemaker, using premixed process. Each capsule contains non- and can feel better about the environment
flavor pods to craft a variety of different alcoholic ingredients, like juices, bitters while enjoying your happy hour.
alcoholic beverages. The catch, though, and liqueurs. The Bartesian is set for delivery in
is that Bartesians cocktail pods are The only downsidethe robot bar- April 2016.
recyclable! Keurigs K-Cups are not recy- tender doesnt talk back. However, at least Kari Embree
10 GLObaL PLaSTICS REPORT 2015 PLaSTICSTOday.COm
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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Wacker develops silicone 3D-printing method

Necessity, once again, has proven itself to Until now, it has been impossible to print Selbertinger created a silicone formula-
be the mother of invention, with 3D print- with elastomers. No suitable processes were tion that can be dosed as tiny droplets
ing playing the role of enabler. Marathon available, says Peter. Within about a year, that stay where they are put. He likens
runner Maximilian Peter, who works as however, the group had developed an addi- the material to toothpaste: It flows under
an engineer at Wacker Silicones (Munich, tive process that would work with silicone. pressure, as you squeeze it from the tube,
Germany), longed for an athletic shoe The 3D printer they created uses a glass but sits firmly on the toothbrush, explains
with shock-absorbing insoles and a per- printing bed and employs a robot that runs Selbertinger. He wont disclose much
fect fit. Holding a doctorate in chemical on a custom program. The printing head, else about the formulation, other than to
engineering and through his daily activities controlled by the robot, pauses after depos- say that it contains a platinum catalyst to
at Wacker, he quickly identified the best iting silicone droplets so that a UV beam enable crosslinking under UV light.
material for this application, silicone, and can pass over the material and crosslink the Wacker anticipates far-reaching applica-
the appropriate manufacturing process, 3D molecules into an elastomer. Once vulca- tions for the technology in the automotive
printing. There was just one problem: Sili- nization is completeit takes less than one and medical sectors, in particular. Instead
cone parts can only be injection molded, a secondthe cycle is repeated. Ultimately, of keeping an inventory of spare silicone
prohibitively expensive process for custom they hope to develop a system that can parts for cars, they can be printed on an as-
products, and no suitable 3D printing process 100 grams of silicone per hour. needed basis, for example. In hospitals and
materials were available. The solution? The finish is significantly smoother clinics, implants could be custom printed,
A novel silicone formulation and a new than 3D-printed thermoplastics, says the even during an operation, based on data
approach to the 3D printing process. company. Peter and his team claim that provided by magnetic resonance imaging
Peter brainstormed with engineers at Ing- the finished item looks almost as if it were machines.
enieure GmbH, a product development and injection molded, and for that, they credit And lets not forget one more applica-
prototyping bureau in Ergolding, Germany, their collaborator, silicone developer Ernst tion: The best running shoes ever.
to find a way to 3D print using silicone. Selbertinger. Norbert Sparrow
Are these guys in your supply chain?
make the change

CADENCEINC.COM/PLASTICS
SALES@CADENCEINC.COM
800.252.3371
Over 50 years of molding experience with engineered plastics.
PLaSTICSTOday.COm GLObaL PLaSTICS REPORT 2015 11
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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Can this 3D printer really compete with

injection molding for high-volume parts
production?
The worlds first 3D printer that
reportedly can make parts as cheaply
and rapidly as injection molding is
being developed at the University of
Sheffield in the United Kingdom. The
machine will build parts up to three
times larger and 100 times faster than
current comparable additive manu-
facturing (AM) machines, making it
capable of challenging conventional
injection molding for high volume
production, according to the university.
The 1 million project is funded by
the Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council (EPSRC), a UK gov- A 3D printer developed at the University of Sheffield reportedly can build parts 100 times faster than cur-
ernment agency that is mandated to rent additive manufacturing systems.
fund research and training programs in
engineering and the physical sciences. additive manufacturing will become HSS prints infra-red-absorbing ink onto
If the technology under development commonplace. a powder bed. Once a layer has been
at the university achieves its goals, it will The 3D printer is based on a tech- printed, it is exposed to infra-red light,
enable the production of volumes over nology developed by Hopkinson, who which heats the powder covered by the
one million, which is currently unattain- originally filed patents on the process ink, causing it to fuse, while the rest of
able using 3D printing. Additive man- as lead inventor at Loughborough Uni- the powder remains cool.
ufacturing is already being used to make versity. The technology for high-speed The new machine will be able to make
tens of thousands of a productsuch as sintering (HSS) is being licensed to parts as large as a washing machine. The
iPhone coversand 10 years ago that industrial machine manufacturers on a speed will depend on the size of the prod-
volume was unthinkable, said Professor non-exclusive basis, with new machines uct, but the team estimates that small
Neil Hopkinson from the University of expected on the market between 2017 components will be built at a rate of less
Sheffields Faculty of Engineering in a and 2018. than one second per part, allowing AM to
prepared statement. I believe history HSS selectively fuses polymer powder compete with injection molding for high-
will repeat itself and in 10 years time, layer by layer, similar to other AM pro- volume manufacturing.
producing volumes over a million using cesses. However, instead of using lasers, Norbert Sparrow
Sonoco Alloyds dispensable packaging system

Sonoco Alloyd, a unit of global pack- channels along the sides of the lid and The DivvyPack is made of PET plas-
aging company Sonoco (Hartsville, SC), tray allow for one-handed opening and tic and SBS board. The materials may be
has developed a dispensable packaging reclosing of the package, producing an adjusted based on customer requests, as
system called the DivvyPack that com- audible snap when locking closed. long as the blister card coating is com-
bines thermoforming technology with The format is suited not only for patible with the blister plastic material.
a sliding lid. The new system allows standard multiple-quantity packaging, Our newest packaging innovation
careful, singular divvying of product but also special-use cases such as club . . . provides our customers with a dif-
for multi-count packages. The lid slides store packaging and gift-with-purchase ferentiated competitive advantage, Kim
away without opening entirely, making promotions. The flat lid, clear packaging Goyke, Marketing Specialist, Sonoco
it easy to dispense a single product from and customizable shape and size provide Alloyd, told PlasticsToday.
a multi-product package. Interlocking a variety of marketing options. Kari Embree
12 GLObaL PLaSTICS REPORT 2015 PLaSTICSTOday.COm
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Mexico outlook
Mexicos manufacturing boom

lures U.S. molders
A shortage of quality molders south of the border and OEM demand for a regionalized supply base are creating
tremendous opportunities for plastics processors. But making the move is not without risk.
Clare Goldsberry
P
ick up any manufacturing trade
publication and you will prob-
ably find an article about Mexicos
booming automotive and aerospace sec-
tors. Announcements from automotive
OEMs, U.S.-based as well as Japanese
and European carmakers, concerning
new plant constructions and expansions
are plentiful. So what does that mean
for U.S. manufacturers, particularly the
smaller Tier 2 and 3 suppliers to large
multinationals, that want to serve these
OEMs in Mexico?
For U.S. suppliers, Mexico offers a
close-to-home base that makes supply-
ing aerospace and automotive OEMs Evco Plastics has been operating in Monterrey, Mexico, for more than 15 years, and it has seen its
more convenient and cost effective than business grow exponentially over that time.
locating facilities in Asia. Daron Gifford,
a partner leading strategy consulting at facility to help get the new Mahle plant cultural hurdles one might encounter in
accounting firm and consultancy Plante up and running, along with an outside other emerging markets, said Gifford.
Moran (Southfield, MI), commented engineer and a tooling specialistboth Doug Donahue is VP of Business
recently in an article that staying close Mexicanto oversee the injection mold- Development at Entrada Group, a
to home is not an option these days. ing machines, Gifford said. company that helps small to mid-sized
Virtually every major automaker has Wilm Uhlenbecker, President of manufacturers quickly establish produc-
developed global platforms for its prod- Mahle Behr USA, shared that employee tion capabilities in northern and central
uct lineup, and suppliers are expected to turnover hasnt been a big problem Mexico while minimizing cost and risk.
support these programs, wrote Gifford. in Mahles Mexican facilities, in part According to Entrada Group, more than
While there has always been a degree because suppliers in the region have an $10 billion of foreign direct investment
of reluctance among molders and mold- informal agreement not to poach talent has poured into central Mexico over the
makers to venture beyond the U.S. bor- from their competitors. The financial past 30 months. However, companies
der into Mexico, there is certainly a lot risk was diminished, as well, because like Toyota, General Motors and Volks-
of opportunity there. Some of the reluc- of Behrs presence in Mexico as an wagen arent just setting up there to tap
tance has been tied to finding skilled established supplier. The company can into less expensive labor.
employees and trained management to expand the capacity of its assembly lines At the macro level, Mexicos com-
run Mexican operations. A case study of and injection molds on a step-by-step petitiveness has increased dramatically
Mahles (Morristown, TN) new HVAC basis, wrote Gifford. over the last two to three years vis vis
manufacturing facility in Ramos Arizpe, Cultural issues often come up when China and Asia, Donahue told
Mexico, recounted by Gifford offers talking to Tier 2 suppliers like mold- PlasticsToday. What was being produced
some perspective on this. The plant was ers and moldmakers. However, cultural by subcontractors in China has stayed
established next door to Behr GmbH, differences are not as insurmountable [in China]. The big OEMs that have
a company that also makes HVAC and as many believe. Given its proximity multiple locations are evaluating the best
engine cooling systems that was acquired to the United States and its integration price to manufacture their products and
by Mahle in 2013. Mahle was able to into North Americas manufacturing components, and they are placing the
bring in some employees from the Behr network, Mexico doesnt present the work there.
14 Global Plastics RePoRt 2015 Plasticstoday.coM
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Mexico outlook
The trend across almost all indus- supplier with five molding plants in the
tries is that manufacturing has become United States (Wisconsin and Georgia),
much more regional. Theyre producing three in Mexico (Monterrey and Juarez)
in North America for the North Ameri- and one in Shenzhen, China. The com-
can markets, in Asia for Asian markets. pany operates a total of 150 molding
Over the last couple of years weve seen machines across its various facilities.
regionalism take off. The transplants, We like relatively small plants close
which started in the United States, are to customers, Dale M. Evans, President
now opening operations in Mexico, and of Evco Plastics, told PlasticsToday. Evco
everything theyre producing is predomi- has been in Monterrey for more than MGS Plastics plans to add an additional 20 mold-
ing machines to its current fleet of 60 molders at
nantly for the North American market, 15 years and has seen its business grow its Chihuahua plant.
Donahue noted. exponentially over that time. January
Molders are identifying more oppor- was a record month, and in February storage racks; adding a 10,000-square-
tunities to supply parts to a variety of we beat that record, Evans said. To foot space for returnable packaging,
industries, including the automotive, accommodate growth and the monster which the company uses in its green
electronics, and recreational vehicle mar- 2,500-ton Engel press the company initiative; new chillers and towers; and
kets, in Mexico. Evco Plastics, headquar- recently installed in its M1 Monterrey energy efficient lighting. Evco oper-
tered in DeForest, WI, is a multinational facility, Evco has invested in the plants ates 20 presses, including a 3,000-ton
infrastructure, which now includes a machine, in the Juarez facility.
40-ton crane and cooling tower and an Evans said that Humberto Garza,
Manufacturing in
upgraded air system to service the 2,500- President of Evco Plastics de Mexico,
Mexico: things to
ton press, and other large machines the is involved in the automotive cluster as
consider before
company is planning to install in the President of the Tier 2 companies in that
Making the Move
years ahead. We have room for three group, so hes active in the automotive side
Thinking about establishing a manufacturing of them, Evans commented. The big of things. Evco, in general, is not into
plant in Mexico? Plante Moran Automotive press work is automotive and automo- automotive, but we do quite a bit of auto-
Perspectives offers key actions suppliers tive-type components, such as the all motive in Mexico, Evans noted. Some
should take when looking to expand into a terrain vehicle (ATV) business, which is of our smaller machines in our M2 facility,
new geographic market: expanding. which has white rooms and filtered air, are
Get the home office involved from the Additionally, the company also used to mold products for the cosmetic
beginning. An overseas plant requires updated the fire sprinkler system to meet industry. We started there with lighting
a major investment of money and new codes and poured pads for two large productsthe world is being relit with
management time. The CEO should be silos, the first of which is being deliv- LEDsfixtures and housings.
personally involved. ered in September 2015. M1 was the The success that Evco has experienced
Aim for a two-year break-even point, companys first facility in Mexico; today in Mexico (business is up 10 to 12% this
if possible, with a planning horizon of it operates 250- to 2,500-ton presses at year, so far) has the company looking at a
three to five years. You should under- that plant. Forty of the plants employees fourth plant in Mexico. While its always
stand that this is a long-term invest- have been with Evco for the entire 15 better to expand existing facilities, weve
ment. years the company has been there. pretty much maxed out the space available
Make sure that you have a primary M2, Evcos second plant in Monter- to us in our plants, said Evans. Eventu-
customer (or more) who can generate rey, has also undergone a remodel. The ally well have to go to a fourth facility
enough orders to support the plant. facility had drive-in docks, which the there. Thats always a challenge with some
Avoid speculative projects based on a company filled in to expand available risk involved. However, if you never take
philosophy of build-it-and-they-will- space for machines. We currently have the risks, you never learn to succeed.
come. After the plant opens, work 26 presses in this plant ranging from 25 MGS Mfg. Group has had an injec-
to diversify your customer portfolio as to 220 tons, including the seven Mila- tion molding facility in Chihuahua,
quickly as possible. cron presses we recently added, said Mexico, (MGS Plastics Chihuahua, S.A.
Put a high priority on management Evans, but we have room for 34. Weve de C.V.) since 2008, when the company
retention. In emerging markets, good updated the chiller systems, cranes and purchased an existing custom molding
plant managers are in high demand. pneumatic systems. We also created a operation (Sosa Plastics). The combina-
Attractive salaries alone arent sufficient; white room for some assembly processes. tion of a well-built and maintained struc-
local managers need a long-term A RAM optical system was installed in ture in a logistically placed and thriving
career path where they can see a the quality room. industrial community, along with a solid
future with you. M3 is Evcos 77,000-square-foot work force as well as room for expan-
Seek outside expertise when you dont molding facility in Juarez, which has sion, was a perfect fit for existing cus-
have strong knowledge in an area. undergone a simple remodel that tomer needs and our growth plans, said
included updating the warehouse with Michael Cummins, VP Operations.
Plasticstoday.coM Global Plastics RePoRt 2015 15
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Mexico outlook
In addition to serving the automotive some ways, the situation in Mexico you build with a tribal knowledge base,
industry in that region, MGS Plastics Chi- may be even more promising. We are which is very difficult to duplicate
huahua caters to the electronics and con- hearing encouraging news regarding the quickly, he added. What we are seeing
sumer markets. Automotive is certainly a governments commitment to manufac- in that industry is the aftermarket service
significant part of our business, but we do turing through educational support and base being established. Moldmakers have
see growth in other sectors, commented infrastructure improvement. to establish a service and repair business.
Cummins. This allows us to maintain a Mexico is still relatively cost competi- The paperwork and time it takes to ship
diversified portfolio of customers. Mexico tive in spite of the fact that costs have molds back and forth across the border
continues to offer growth potential. increased against China, noted Donahue. create delays and costs. That service busi-
That is reflected in MGS Plastics Chi- For suppliers looking to head to Mexico ness for molds is a key part of winning
huahuas plans to expand capacity at the to supply customers, there are opportu- customers there. You wont find it, and
current location. The expectation is that nities but it can also be scary, comment- you wont steal it. Youll have to develop
this will be completed within the next ed Donahue. Those Tier 2 suppliers it, said Donahue.
18 months, explained Cummins. The are coming to serve their key clients, but For molders its a different story.
intention is to add an additional 20 mold- they are not coming to North America Donahue noted that theres a huge short-
ing machines to the current fleet of 60. just for one opportunity, he said. They age of quality molders in Mexico, and
As far as challenges go, Cummins will become competitors in North the ones who are there are swamped with
noted that they resemble those in the America for the OEM business. Recently work. The OEMs will tell you there are
companys other manufacturing loca- a client came to Mexico from Portugal, not enough molders there and they need
tions: Transportation costs, business because its OEM customer told them it more of them to meet their production
regulations and currency fluctuations. had to. The market will get even more requirements, said Donahue. There are
Building and maintaining an experi- competitive, which benefits Mexico, still a lot of products and components
enced team is a challenge, he noted, because it is a competitive playing field. coming from the United States and
but its not dramatically different from Donahue said he believes that were Canada, and they would like to get away
what the company experiences at other not going to see moldmaking move to from that. A lot of OEMs want to get
locations and facilities, he added. In Mexico. Its an art formsomething more molders to come to Mexico.
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Manufacturing technologies
Industry 4.0:
Smartening up the
factory of the future
Ubiquitous sensor technology, cyber-physical

systems and human-machine interfaces are
ushering in the fourth industrial revolution.
KAREN LAIRD
T
en years ago, manufacturing seemed of reindustrializing the countries in the a highly theoretical concept for many
doomed, in the West, at least. The West and establishing a strong, competi- processorsand disruptive in more than
big topic was offshoring, and the tive, high-tech industrial base. one sense. This is about to change: If the
general consensus was that there was no experts are to be believed, the world is
future for companies that did not join A bewildering concept for many on the cusp of a new industrial revolu-
the flight to the lower-cost countries of manufacturers tion, one in which the buzz words are
Asia. Today, in a complete about-face, Although the concept of Industry 4.0 connectivity and integrated, and where
manufacturing is back, and not just may currently be the most-discussed everything is smart.
because the costs of labor in these for- topic in manufacturing, it is still a Since industrialization commenced in
merly low-wage countries have soared. bewildering concept to many manufac- the Western world with the invention of
Advanced manufacturing techniques, turers around the world. In the plastics the steam engine at the end of the 18th
sensor technology, automation and com- industry, where the use of industrial, century, developments have come thick
munication networks are evolving and automated MES and ERP systems is by and fast. The second industrial revolu-
even now are changing the process of no means commonplace and a six-axis tion, which is commonly dated from the
production, as we know it. Known in robot is generally considered the height latter quarter of the 19th century until
Europe as Industry 4.0, this development of sophisticated automation, Indus- the outbreak of World War I, was char-
is seen as the way forward in the process try 4.0 and all that it entails remains acterized by the availability of steel, elec-
18 global plastics report 2015 plasticstoday.coM
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tricity and the rise of mass production. systems to monitor and control physical taking the first steps in the direction of
Electronics and information technology processes. Connecting all these sensor smart manufacturing may be a daunting
fueled the third industrial revolution. systems in networks to computing sys- prospect. Yet Industry 4.0 is closer than
Now, sensor technology, leading to high tems results in the emergence of what many in the industry realize or suspect.
levels of machine-to-machine communi- today is called the Internet of Things The driving forces behind Industry
cation, the development of cyber-phys- (IoT), in which enormous amounts of 4.0 in the plastics processing industry are
ical systems and human-machine inter- data are collected, analyzed and com- the manufacturers of machinery. Plastics
faces, is ushering in the fourth industrial municated. Intelligence is no longer cen- processing systems are equipped with
revolution, or Industry 4.0. tralized in one place, but is distributed an increasing amount of automation
across the entire system, to be accessed technologyfor example, sensor systems
Integrating the physical and by machines, devices and users. that function as autonomous intelligence
virtual worlds In manufacturing, this means, among unitsthat is intended to enable them
Industry 4.0 has its origins in Germany, other things, that machines and products to communicate and process data by
Europes industrial powerhouse, and it can now communicate with each other themselves; or in other words, to become
envisions a future of manufacturing in and independently control each other, a smart. These intelligent machines, in
which smart factories use information development that will ultimately to lead combination with the far-reaching possi-
and communication technologies to digi- to a decentralized, self-organized smart bilities for machine-to-machine commu-
tize processes, resulting in better quality, factory in which production processes, nication, are leading to more automated
lower costs and more efficiency. At the enabled by cyber-physical systems, oper- processes, self-monitoring, and results in
basis of this industrial digitization are ate flexibly and intelligently. real time.
so-called cyber-physical systems, which To manufacturers and processors in Is that necessary? According to Ste-
integrate the physical and virtual worlds. the plastics industry, especially those fan Engleder, CTO at Austrian injec-
In a production environment, this means falling within the category of small and tion molding machine manufacturer
integrating operating technology with medium-sized companies whose main Engel, the answer is yes. The reasoning
information technology, something that preoccupation tends to be the day-to- is simple: Molders are facing multiple
is accomplished by using embedded day concerns of running a business, challenges in the future that need to be
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plasticstoday.coM global plastics report 2015 19
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addressed. One is climate change, which and compares the measured values with Mainstreaming the smart plastics
will lead to higher costs of energy, mate- a reference cycle online. Based on these factory
rials and water. Others include, demo- results, the switchover point and the Hence, in just a few short years, Industry
graphic changes, resulting in labor short- injection profile are adjusted as neces- 4.0 has rapidly evolved from a vision of
ages; globalization, requiring molders to sary, in order to keep the injected vol- a remote future to the reality of tomor-
compete with production in the emerg- ume constant during the entire produc- row. However, there are still myriad
ing markets; technical developments tion run. Thus, the effects of fluctuations challenges to be overcome before the
and individualization, calling for flexible in viscosity on the filling of the mold, smart factory in the plastics industry goes
and efficient small-series production of especially in applications with switchover mainstream.
often complex products. Smart machines points that depend on the injection pres- One of the most important of these
prepare molders for this future and help sure, can also be compensated. And the is the need for open standards and sys-
them to produce more quickly and flex- newest version of the software incorpo- tems to enable easy connections and
ibly. They open the door for highly effi- rates automatic holding pressure correc- communication within the 4.0 net-
cient, scalable production, individualization, making it possible to compensate works. And while a company like Wit-
tion and autonomous process control. for fluctuations in viscosity, even after tman, for example, has not waited for
the injection phase has been completed, standards to be developeddeveloping
by adjusting the holding pressure profile. its own, insteadthe need, not only
and the product is the for automation systems that can handle
Molding a future of mass the vast amount of data generated, but
heart of 4.0. the customization that can communicate efficiently with
Similarly, at German machine manu- one another has now been generally
manufactured product facturer Arburg, implementation of the acknowledged by the industry.
principles of Industry 4.0 is an ongoing Efforts toward standardization are
is where all these process. The company demonstrated, currently being made by the Euro-
for example, the possibilities it offers pean association of rubber machinery
processes meet. with a fully networked process chain manufacturers, which is developing a
earlier this year at the Hannover Messe. new interface for standardized com-
This is possible through data integra- Large-volume parts were individualized munication between injection molding
tionhorizontal, along the value chain, with Industry 4.0 technologies, linking machines and central computers/MES
and along multiple chains, and vertical, Allrounder injection molding machines systems.
across different levels, said Engleder. and the Freeformer to achieve what the Seamless communication all the
And the product is the heart of 4.0. company called mass customization. way from the sensor to the Internet, for
The manufactured product is where Intelligent machines in a network infra- example, is a precondition for Industry
all these processes meet. As products structure yield production efficiencies 4.0, said Gnther Grimm, Head of
become intelligent, they interact with and flexibility for molders to make smart Software/Control Systems at KraussMaf-
the machine at the level of the machine, products. fei. The goal is to define harmonized,
rather than via a central unit, which In line with the general trend, the new recommendations for data exchange
makes production far more flexible. Wittmann group also offers an option to in the injection molding machinery seg-
Important in this respect is the link machines with the connected robots ment. This offers great potential for the
human-machine interface. As Gerhard and peripherals and operate all appli- future.
Dimmler, Senior Vice President of Prod- ances via its uniform Windows operating And not just for the major players
uct R&D at Engel pointed out: Mold- system interface. This makes interac- in the industry. Open standard archi-
ers must be able to take full advantage of tion between the individual appliances tectures and non-proprietary solutions
the capabilities of the machine, yet with- possible, as well as data exchange with will also benefit small and medium-sized
out the operator having to have addi- supervisory systems. This solution has enterprises, as they will not be confront-
tional knowledge. We are aligning our been named Wittmann 4.0 and includes ed with closed concepts from the big
products with the key elements of 4.0. proprietary software interface modules companies that shape the market.
To that end, Engel has developed between the machine, the robot and Its not going to happen overnight.
and patented a suite of iQ solutions, the peripherals, enabling an identical repro- But for the average small or medium-
newest of which is its iQ weight-control duction of the respective user interface sized company, networked manufactur-
software, which recognizes and auto- displays on the B6P machine control ing will provide the edge and flexibility
matically compensates for fluctuations systems display panel. This software they need to remain internationally com-
in melt viscosity online, in real time. To adjusts itself automatically and flexibly petitive in a globalized environment. For
achieve this, the software analyses the to the software installed in every periph- these companies, progress toward smart
pressure profile at the screw position in eral appliance, including future software production will occur incrementally. But
real time during the injection process updates. occur it will . . . if they are smart.
20 global plastics report 2015 plasticstoday.coM
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AsiA-PAcific OutlOOk
Rise of the robots: China

automates to maintain its
global competitiveness
In 2014, China surpassed Japan to become the worlds largest market for industrial robots.
Stephen Moore
C
hinese manufacturers are con-
fronted with two critical manpower
issues: A declining working-age
population and skyrocketing wages.
According to the International
Labor Organization (ILO), the average
monthly wage for a worker in China was
$613 in 2013 (the most recent year for
which data is available) compared with
$391 in Thailand and $183 in Indone-
sia. Further, Chinas National Bureau of
Statistics reported that the working-age
populationdefined as those between
ages 16 and 59fell by 371,000 in 2013
to about 915 million in 2014.
To boot, steady economic growth in
the central and western reaches of China Mouse and keyboard manufacturer Rapoo has automated production at its factory in Shenzhen.
means workers are more likely to find
work at or close to home and are less material feed system. Hot stamping is by 2018. Midea invested $145 mil-
likely to travel east as migrant workers. integrated press-side, while conveyors are lion between 2011 and 2014 to install
Faced with the prospect of fewer, used for part transfer. Further, AGVs are automation systems incorporating some
more expensive workers, it comes as no employed to transport tooling and inserts 800 robots. It plans to add another 600
surprise that companies in the export- to the injection presses. robots this year.
oriented province of Guangdong and Our automation needs are special- Joining Gree in expanding into the
elsewhere in China are rushing to ized on account of the wide variety of automation sector is Shenzhen Rapoo
automate, in particular their assembly air conditioners we manufacture, but we Technology, better known as a manu-
processes. Take Gree Electric Appliances found the technological level of Chinese facturer of computer mouses and key-
Inc. of Zhuhai, for example. robots insufficient, says Lewis Liu, Sales boards. The companys robotics division
The worlds largest specialized manu- Manager, Industrial GoodsAutomation works as a systems integrator and has
facturer of air conditioners, Gree reduced at Gree. Therefore, rather than import undertaken automation programs at
its headcount by 10,000 in 2014, to a automation equipment, we decided its parent, as well as other companies,
total of 80,000, while simultaneously to manufacture it ourselves. And as including one manufacturing remote
raising revenue from around $19.4 evidenced by Lius title, Grees robots control units. Rapoos demo plant is
billion in 2013 to $22.6 billion. The and other automation solutions are now composed of two production lines: A
company increased productivity through available to the plastics processing indus- traditional system of eight workers,
an automation program initiated in try. The company commenced external who turn out around 2,000 wireless
2012 when it started to manufacture its sales in 2014. mouses per day, and an automated line
own robots, automated guided vehicles Also in the appliance field, Midea with robots and two workers that pro-
(AGVs) and other automation equip- plans to slash its air conditioner division duces more than 1,500 daily. Company
ment. Grees showcase of automation is a workforce of 30,000 by 6,000 by the end spokesperson Deng Fengxia notes that
plant in Guangdong, housing 150 injec- of 2015 at its factory in Foshan, Guang- the annual labor costs for 1,000 work-
tion presses connected to a centralized dong Province, and a further 4,000 ers is around $9.7 million, but it costs
22 GlObAl PlAstics RePORt 2015 PlAsticstOdAy.cOm
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AsiA-PAcific OutlOOk
just $4.8 million to purchase 100 robots

(including other associated costs) that
will continue operating for 10 years.
Perhaps the most ambitious automa-
tion project in China was announced
by electronics manufacturer Foxconn in
2011. Back then, founder Terry Guo
predicted that by 2014 Foxconn would
have installed one million robots at its
plants in China. The company fell well
short of that goal. As of 2014, just over
10,000 robots had been installed on Fox-
conn assembly lines, and the companys
plants were 40% to 70% automated. A
report by the Industrial Relations Net-
work, part of the ILO, quoted a Foxconn
engineer as saying most Apple products
are still assembled by people because
mechanical devices can scratch the prod-
ucts alloy cases, but fingers do not.
Another contract manufacturer was
Chinese workers co-existing with robots will become an increasingly common sight in southern China.
more successful in its automation efforts.
Ever Win International, which is located government in their efforts to automate. the robot market is currently growing
at the manufacturing hub of Dongguan, The local authoritys action plan will see at an average annual rate between 10
installed 1,000 robots this year, joining around $152 billion invested in automa- and 15%. This is why it is important
100 units that were already operating on tion to promote application of robots in to manufacture locally in Asia and why
its assembly lines, according to Chinese 1,950 companies in industries such as we built our new production facility in
government mouthpiece, Global Times. automotive, home appliances and elec- Shanghai last year, the company adds.
Chen Qixing, Chairman of the com- tronics. The province also plans to build At present, the Shanghai facility manu-
pany, was quoted as saying, A robotic two advanced industrial bases for robot factures the KR Quantec and the KR C4
production line does not mean there is production by the end of 2017. universal controller. However, we also
no human labor at all, but it will reduce Preferential policies and subsidies that study local market and customer require-
the number of workers by about 90%, are part of the scheme will continue until ments in order to be able to respond, if
he added. the end of 2016, but even before they necessary, adds the spokesperson.
Companies such as Ever Win Inter- were offered, companies saw the need to One newcomer to the robotics sec-
national, Gree and Midea are receiving automate. According to the municipal tor attracting attention is machine tool
support from the Guangdong provincial government in the city of Shenzhen, pro- maker GSK CNC Equipment, Chinas
ductivity in 2014 rose 17%, while 6.8% largest manufacturer and designer of
of the labor force was shed. computerized numerical control (CNC)
China: the worlds systems. The company also manufac-
largest market for Foreign robots tures servomotors and drives, as well as
industrial robots Multinational suppliers dominate the all-electric injection molding machines.
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) industrial robot sector in China despite With its in-house capabilities in the
reported that China last year surpassed Japan the efforts of local players such as Gree motion control field, GSK says it is well
to become the worlds largest market for and Rapoo. In fact four companies placed to penetrate the industrial robot
industrial robots. Some 182,300 industrial ABB, Kuka, Yaskawa Electric and market, because it will not have to rely
robots were operating in China at the end Fanuccommand a 58% share of the on costly overseas components. Several
of 2014, with around 49,500 installed in China market, according to Chinese hundred units were reportedly shipped
2014 alone. The IFR estimates that Chinas consultancy Mir Industry. last year, with a target of more than
industrial robot population will rise to 427,900 Kuka and the two Japanese robot double that in 2015. Longer term, GSK
in 2017, compared with 291,900 in North manufacturers already operate produc- has aspirations of becoming a giant in
America and 287,000 in Japan. Even then, tion plants in China. China is by far the robotics field, with production in
China will only account for 22% of the worlds the biggest robot market in the world in 2020 targeting 30,000 units. The com-
stock of robots, indicating that there is more terms of annual sales; it is also the fast- panys target price, meanwhile, is 30%
longer term growth potential in China as its est growing market worldwide, notes a lower than imported robots, although it
workforce shrinks and labor costs rise further. spokesperson from Kuka. According to concedes that its technology may be less
the International Federation of Robotics, mature.
24 GlObAl PlAstics RePORt 2015 PlAsticstOdAy.cOm
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Medical Technology
Making it in medical molding

Outsourcing to the medical technology industry is growing at double digits. Thats good news for contract
molders . . . if they can meet the rigorous demands of OEMs.
norbert sparrow
S
o, you want to be a medical mold-
er? Its easy to see why. The $380
billion global medical technology
industry has its ups and downs like any
other sector, but more often than not,
it generates steady growth. In fact, the
medtech sector was upgraded by rat-
ing agency Moodys from stable to
positive in August 2015, with 4 to 5%
growth forecast for the next 12 to 18
months.
Outsourcing to the medtech indus-
try, which includes molding and plas-
tics processing, is projected to grow at
almost 12% through 2018, according to
some industry analysts. And the medical
polymers market is expected to expand
at an 8.4% compound annual growth
rate through 2020, achieving a value of
$9.69 billion, according to Grand View
Research.
Because of the dictates of quality Phillips-Medisize produces nearly 150 million insulin pens annually in its Finland facility.
manufacturing and regulatory require-
ments, medical device OEMs are less Reis, Vice President, Healthcare Business manufacturing facilities in the United
likely than other manufacturers to go Development, at GW Plastics (Bethel, States, Mexico, China and Europe, cur-
hunting for dealsthey are, by and VT). It all comes down to keeping the rently employs more than 450 engineers
large, loyal to their supply chain. And customer satisfied. You need to be able in preproduction, said Phillips-Medisize
continuing demand for single-use devices to show a consistent ability to produce President and CEO Matt Jennings at a
makes metal replacement a hot topic components that meet customer require- recent press conference.
within industry, a tremendous opportu- ments, says Reiss. You need to have professionals in
nity for materials innovators and provid- A pool of engineering expertise is a quality management, people who can
ers of plastics processing services. critical in-house resource if you want process validation and design changes,
Its an attractive industry, but the to effectively go after business in the says John Witkowski, General Manager
barriers to entry for vendors can be sig- medical space, agrees Bob Welch, Chief at Nypro (Clinton, MA). You need to
nificant. We asked several contract mold- Technology Officer at Phillips-Medisize invest in technologies like robotics and
ers who have a track record of working (Hudson, WI). Engineering strength in people who have expertise within
with medical device OEMs what their is needed not just in new product those fields.
customers are looking for in a molding development, but in sustaining roles, And those engineering resources need
partner. Here is what they told us. says Welch. As we have grown as a to be effectively managed, says Welch,
company, the number of engineering especially in a company the size of Phil-
Prioritize in-house engineering disciplines has grown accordingly. I have lips-Medisize with facilities spread across
talent been leading engineering since 2005, the globe. You need strong program
A broad and deep skill set that encom- adds Welch, and we have added at least management systems that coordinate all
passes product development, design for six engineering specializations during engineering effortsa strong command
manufacturing, validation and repeatabil- that time, including a growing base of and control structure and robust chan-
ity, among other qualities, are prerequi- validation engineers. nels of communication with the cus-
sites for contract molders, says Timothy The $650 million company with tomer, says Welch. We produce nearly
26 global PlasTics RePoRT 2015 PlasTicsToday.coM
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Medical Technology
150 million [insulin] pens annually in

our Finland facility. That requires a
substantial team with a focus on uptime,
expected yields, and so forth. Expertise
in tooling and automation at all lev-
elsdesign, development, validation and
sustaining effortsis a necessity.
Consistent investment in technol-
ogy that benefits medical device OEMs
through an increase in quality and a
reduction in cost has been a recipe for
success at Plastic Molding Manufac-
turing (Hudson, MA), which recently
added cleanroom two-shot molding to
its portfolio to keep up with changing
demands and technologies. This invest-
ment was prompted by a longtime cus-
tomer who was having difficulty bonding
polycarbonate/thermoplastic elastomer Scientific molding requires strong processes and methodologies, which mesh well with the demands of
on a device. The solution ultimately medical device OEMs, says GW Plastics.
required the purchase of a 110-ton,
two-shot molding machine from Arburg, medical customers, he adds. where possible, so that they can buy
and we are now going through the Multi-shot molding offers alterna- one SKU instead of two. They want a
qualification and validation process, says tives and flexibility, explains Bodeau. finished product that can go straight
Vice President Ron Bodeau. Demand Customers want us to consolidate the into packaging or sterilization. Bodeau
for multi-shot molding is growing from production process into a single step, cites a number of other benefits includ-
PlasTicsToday.coM global PlasTics RePoRT 2015 27
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Medical Technology
tic device that is made up of 14 or 15

parts and may even contain some metal
inserts. But, generally speaking, without
the appropriate certification, you are lim-
iting your potential customer base. Its
on their checklistISO 13485 is always
required by our customers, says Welch.
Adds Reiss: ISO 13485 is the big-
gest precursor for entering the medical
molding market. The standard dictates a
consistent, methodical approach. I dont
see how you can expect to be taken seri-
ously without it.
its easy to stub your

toes on local business
Nypro and Jabil offer cleanroom injection molding of liquid silicone rubber. customs
ing lower part costs, because cycle also stressed the importance of provid- Although Prism Plastics, an injection
times, labor and assembly operations are ing an array of services. For Witkowski, molding company headquartered in Ches-
reduced. the evolution of smart devices that inte- terfield, MI, is certified to ISO 13485, it
To take some of the guesswork out grate sensors and sundry electronics, has proudly proclaims that it does not have
of molding parts, more companies are made the synergy between Nypro and a quality department. Our company
embracing scientific molding, a move Jabilthe latter acquired the former in philosophy is that everyone on our staff
that is encouraged by many custom- 2013a tremendous asset. Weve come is in the quality department, says Gerry
ers. Its an asset in precision molding a long way from injectors with no elec- Phillips, Vice President and co-founder.
operations, in general, says Reiss. GW tronics. Now, devices communicate with Responsibility and accountability for
Plastics has developed expertise in sci- cell phones, injectors store data about quality is shared by everyone. By the time
entific molding, which requires strong how much medication you took and you get to parts inspection, its too late.
processes and methodologies, and that when, says Witkowski. Suppliers need
meshes well with the healthcare market, to be able to provide support for those A global footprint
explains Reiss. applications, he explains. OEMs dont The medical technology sector is a global
A data-based process, scientific mold- want to go to 10 different suppliers for industry, and for contract molders with
ing is defined by MRPC (Butler, WI), a that expertise and spread their resources global ambitions, regionalization and prox-
custom manufacturer of silicone, medical across the globe. imity to customers is key. Phillips-Medisize
rubber and thermoplastic components Reiss sees demand for an array of says its all about leaving options open for
and assemblies, as a methodical set of services growing year after year as OEMs OEMs. In China, the 80/20 rule applies,
experiments to develop a process. It tighten resources. Expertise in innova- says Welch, meaning that 80% of what
involves understanding the nature of the tion, product design, material selection is made there, stays there for local con-
material that is being molded and its and so forth are increasing requirements, sumption. We have facilities in Western
preferred molding conditions, MRPC and that calls for significant engineer- Europe, but also in the Czech Republic,
Vice President of Engineering Jeff ing resources on the part of the contract as a low-cost option for the EU market.
Randall told sister brand MD+DI. By molder, says Reiss. Likewise, we have facilities in Wisconsin,
understanding the materials preferences, as well as Mexico. Its all about having low-
behavior, and response to process inputs, The question of certification cost options within the same geography.
a manufacturer can optimize the mold- Some medical molders who make a vir- A global presence may be necessary
ing process and produce the most consis- tue of not having ISO certification. It if the customer has design centers in
tent part possible, says Randall. adds cost and complexity to the process, offshore locations, says Witkowski. Its
While the use of scientific molding an administrative burden that is not important in the front-end development
is not as widespread in the medical field entirely justified, they say. Most medical process, because you want to be nearby
as it is in other sectors, the smart money molders beg to differ, however. to facilitate communication. But its not
is on its growing adoption. Increasingly, The level of quality required depends as critical in the full production stage,
customers will want to see that in your on the application and the level of risk, adds Witkowski, given the supply chain
toolbox. says Welch. Medical tubing may have logistics that are available today.
All of the molders we spoke with a much lower risk than a complete plas- Witkowski does offer some sage
28 global PlasTics RePoRT 2015 PlasTicsToday.coM
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Medical Technology
advice when it comes to considering a Committing to a business Long-term commitment is crucial

global presence: Know what you dont relationship because of the time it takes to develop
know, and act accordingly. Its easy to Demonstrating a commitment to the a product, explains Phillips. It would
stub your toes on local business customs, device industry is an essential element in be disastrous if a company were to
hiring practices and trying to do high- carving out a future as a medical molder. drop the ball at some point during the
tech work in a location doesnt have the Phillips of Prism Plastics has some process.
workforce to support that. My advice is unique insights on this. Medical manufacturing is a much
to hire a consulting group that knows A successful supplier of injection more collaborative process than automo-
that market so you dont make huge mis- molding services to the automotive sec- tive, adds Phillips. Teams are formed
takes or act on wrong assumptions. tor, Prism established Prism Medical early in the process and work through
Offshoring is not in the Plastic Mold- in 2010. Five years on, the results have problems together. OEMs want input
ing Manufacturing (Hudson, MA) play- been disappointing. Part of the prob- on processes, material selection and
book. In fact, the company is dedicated lem, says Phillips, is a perception, not so forth. Communication is more fre-
to bringing manufacturing back to the unfounded, that providers of molding quent and more systematic than it is in
United States. It has an ally in the medical services to automotive OEMs often hunt automotive, says Phillips. Rules for
manufacturing industry . . . mostly. Medi- for business in the medical sector when qualifying parts and milestones are well
cal companies typically do not outsource carmakers go through one of their cycli- defined. If you are going to miss a mile-
outside of the United States, says CEO cal downturns, only to put diversification stone, there is an established collabora-
George E. Danis. Our objective is to on the back burner once the auto indus- tive process to talk it through and solve
reshore manufacturing to the United States, try picks up again. That worked against the problem. It is relationship based,
not just molding, but all manufacturing. us, says Phillips. The company has stresses Phillips.
And that goal is within reach, adds Danis. taken a new tack and plans to acquire a At the end of the day, making a busi-
The United States is competitive in qual- medical molder to show its determina- ness relationship work is not that differ-
ity, delivery times and even in cost, as labor tion to enter this market and its willing- ent from any other relationshipyou
in China is becoming more expensive. ness to be there for the long haul. need to show commitment.
Busted!
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Like Humpty Dumpty, it is hard to put the pieces back together once a
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investing in a quality assurance program in the first place. With our broad
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PlasTicsToday.coM global PlasTics RePoRT 2015 29
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Plastics Recycling
Postconsumer recycling:
It takes a village
Postconsumer recycling may be the savior for the plastic pollution crisis, but it doesnt come without
its challenges.
Kari EmbrEE
I
ts lightweight, durable and most
importantly, it costs hardly anything,
which is why plastic plays such an
integral part in a variety of packag-
ing solutions. After all, a wide range of
plastics are highly adaptable and can be
molded, extruded, blown and cast into a
variety of shapes, film or foams.
Also, another advantage is the abil-
ity to take more product home with less
packaging compared to alternative mate-
rials. As a result, minimal resources are
needed, which helps cut back on waste.
However, as technology continues to
evolve with new polymers popping up in
the market, demand increasesand so
do recovery efforts.
Every year 280 million tons of plas-
tic are produced globally, yet, estimates
point out that only 10% each year is
Shown here are rigid plastics baled in Montgomery County, Maryland. The woman standing in front is
actually recycled, according to the Plas- Patty Long, SPIs Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs.
ticity Forum, a collaboration of Ocean
Recovery Alliance and the Republic that puts those items to a higher and their intended use have been diverted or
of Everyone, which presents ideas and better use than landfill, people will begin recovered from the waste stream.
opens up discussions on how to harness to think differently about this material, Afterwards, closed-loop systems recy-
this material in new ways, both pre- and said Kim Holmes, Senior Director of cle a single type of plastic into the same
postconsumer use. Recycling and Diversion, SPI. production process, while open-loop sys-
More often than not, plastic packag- We dont have a system yet that tems make these materials available for
ing finds its way into our oceans, streets really allows us to tap into that value other applications. Then, the process is
and landfills. This is one of the main and utilize end-of-life plastics to their broken down to either melting and refin-
reasons why plastic is so often portrayed fullest potential. Thats the goal of all ing without breaking down the polymer,
in a negative light. of our current efforts in recycling: To or breaking the polymer chain down to
Contributing to this waste stream is demonstrate the technical and economic its chemical building blocks and reusing
a growing population across the world. recovery of plastics, whether that be for them to produce a new polymer.
Emerging economies, such as China, mechanical recycling, or recovery of While this is a great solution for tap-
India and Brazil, are developing a bur- chemical or energy value. ping into the waste stream and eliminat-
geoning middle class. This means more So, how do we go about solving our ing the need for virgin plastics, its not
disposable income, which sparks con- plastic pollution problem? We need to without its challenges.
sumer demand for products that were get better at getting the material we use The first thing to realize is that
previously unattainable, and more waste. back after were done with it. the existing materials recovery facil-
Like aluminum and paper, plastics ity (MRF) infrastructure was designed
are a resource. If we are able to expand Postconsumer recycling to recover a much different recycling
end-of-life management opportunities Postconsumer recycling (PCR) is the stream than what we see todaymore
for a broader range of plastics in a way method whereby plastics that have served paper and less plastic packaging. As a
30 global Plastics RePoRt 2015 Plasticstoday.com
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Plastics Recycling
result, many of these facilities do not We are going to see packaging Trending now
have the capabilities to efficiently sort continue to evolve to meet the needs of According to Goodman, there are a
the myriad plastic packaging in the mar- consumers to better protect products and couple trends right now, which are help-
ket today, said Tim Goodman, Cradle- achieve reduced overall environmental ing to improve recovery efforts.
to-Cradle Manager, NatureWorks footprints. These changes can, at times, First, sorting equipment is becoming
(Minnetonka, MN). present challenges for recyclers when new more sophisticated and fine-tuned to
While they do an adequate job of materials are introduced, said Holmes. help improve the recovery of postcon-
sorting out PET and HDPE plastic What I think we are seeing today, sumer packaging. One example of this is
bottles and jugs, they are not equipped to however, is a concerted effort on the the advances in optical sorting technol-
sort the variable sizes, shapes and multi- part of packaging manufacturers to work ogy, which allows equipment to identify
material plastic packaging that is now part with the recycling community to address a wider array of material with greater
of the recycling stream. Along with trash the impacts those changes may have on accuracy. As MRFs begin to modernize
and other items, which should not be in recycling systems. These material suppli- this equipment, it will allow them to
the recycling cart, these materials over- ers and processors are getting involved recover more varied materials with better
whelm the capabilities of the equipment, in evaluating processes, technologies recovery rates. Currently, there are still
resulting in contamination of recovered and additives that can expand recovery MRFs in the United States that operate
materials of all types as well as the over- opportunities for the products that dont without optical sorting equipment.
sight of recyclable materials that end up in seem to fit in the current recycling infra- If we can improve the MRF, we can
the residual stream, said Goodman. structure. You are seeing the entire sup- improve the quality of bales, which helps
Another big hurdle for the PCR ply chain getting involved in the recovery the overall economics and efficiency of
industry is packaging innovation. discussion, which greatly increases our recycling further down the value chain,
likelihood of solving these challenges, said Holmes. In return for making
Making EPS foaM Part of Holmes added. investments in better equipment, MRFs
a SuStainablE Solution will see a financial return, too, as their
Kerry Flickner was not a happy man when he Collaboration is key efficiency and output increase.
read about the six largest U.S. school districts The plastic pollution issue at hand can- Another trend is the growth of sec-
replacing EPS foam food trays with com- not be solved by just one party. Collabo- ondary processing to recover recyclables
postable paper plates. His biggest problem, ration between government, the plastics that were missed by the first MRF or to
he told PlasticsToday, is the lack of any com- industry and consumers is imperative for recover packaging that might not be cost
mercial composting facility that can process PCR to be successful. effective for the first MRF to recover
the volume of paper plate waste feedstock I think the supply chain collabora- because of lower volumes.
these districts are expected to produce. Flick- tion that is happening to address end- Secondary processing can take the
ner, who is National Director, Waste Solutions, of-life challenges is key, and I think the form of recovering plastic packaging
at Foodservice Sustainability Solutions (FSS; formation of the Recycling Committee from mixed plastic bales sent to plas-
Marietta, GA), doubts that very few, if any, of within SPI is a demonstration of the tics recovery facilities or, in some cases,
these plates will actually be composted. industry creating that collaborative recovering plastic packaging, aluminum,
FSS specializes in waste stream reduction model, said Holmes. steel and even paper from MRF residual
and recycling programs for so-called dirty In this committee, we have recyclers, streams delivered to a secondary MRF.
EPS foam waste and the food waste produced resin suppliers, equipment makers, pro- Goodman adds that when it comes to
in commercial and institutional foodservice cessors and brand owners all working other types of plastic packaging, beyond
operations. together on end-of-life issues. In the PET and HDPE, applications and mar-
One way FSS is achieving this goal is past, I think all parties generally took a ket demand for postconsumer plastics
through its equipmenta machine called siloed approach to improving recycling. are lagging. To complete the value chain,
the StyroGenie. One StyroGenie will process I think weve seen that only got us so far much more will need to be done to cre-
on site up to 3,600 foam foodservice trays and it really is going to take collabora- ate applications and market demand for
per day. Through a proprietary process, the tion to get us past where we are other postconsumer plastics. As industry
StyroGenie reduces waste volume by 95%, at today. continues to shift packaging and prod-
creating two blocks that weigh 8 to 10 In addition to the supply chain col- ucts to plastics, applications and markets
pounds each. The blocks are then set aside laboration that is happening, I think for postconsumer plastic packaging will
at the school until the company picks them we are also seeing increased commu- develop, and that creates opportuni-
uptypically once a month or bimonthly, nication and collaboration happening ties. The demand for recycled content,
depending on the size of the schoolfor between different trade associations and along with advances in such things as
delivery to the FSS processor for recycling or non-profit groups, as well. Many of us compounding chemistry, composites
resource recovery, diverting 100% of waste have shared goals and specific areas of manufacturing and 3D printing technol-
from local landfills. expertise. When we bring those things ogy will help drive new applications and
Clare Goldsberry together, we get much farther much markets for postconsumer
more quickly, Holmes added. plastics recycling.
Plasticstoday.com global Plastics RePoRt 2015 31
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sustainability outlook
Making sustainability pay

Sustainable business practices can be a driver of success, but they require companies to change the way they
do things, which is never easy.
Karen Laird
I
f there ever was a concept that has Obstacles After all, everyone knows and under-
come out of the closet during the Talking to a number of CEOs and stands the traditional model, with its
past decade, its sustainability. Its managing directors about their efforts in emphasis on growth and profit maxi-
an issue that has been embraced by this area, several difficulties emerged. As mization. The goal of a business is to
businesses and industries across the one European manager said: Frankly, earn money. However, and this is where
board. Yet, even as the awareness has we have other priorities. Right now the the confusion starts, this cannot be the
grown that sustainability should be economic situation is such that sustain- only goal. As Peter Drucker, often called
an integral part of corporate culture, ability has moved somewhat to the back the founder of modern management,
many businesses still find themselves burner. famously said: Profit for a company is
wrestling with the actual implementa- A sizable number said that they like oxygen for a person. If you dont
tion of sustainable measures and prac- thought that adopting sustainability have enough of it, youre out of the
tices, and are having trouble finding a measures and practices would cost too game. But if you think your life is about
concept of sustainability that works for much, and that they did not have the breathing, youre really missing some-
them. necessary budget. Some said there was thing.
According to a survey by McKinsey no demand for sustainable products from The fact is, a well-run company is
Global Survey, most companies still their customers, or that their customers more than likely to make a profit, simply
take a fragmented, reactive approach were not really interested in whether or because profit is an obvious consequence
launching ad hoc initiatives to enhance not they operated in a sustainable way. of good management. As a banker from
their green credentials, to comply with The biggest problem, however, was that ABN AMRO recently pointed out to
regulations, or to deal with emergen- of quantifiable value. How does going me: When we see a company with a
ciesrather than treating sustainability the sustainable route lead to value cre- working sustainability policy in place,
as an issue with a direct impact on busi- ation, in terms of dollars and cents? we know that is indicative of a company
ness results. with a good strategic policy. And these
In short: many companies are talking Corporate sustainability are the companies that are operating at a
the talk, but have no idea of how to walk How to generate value creation from profit, not despite the fact but because of
the walk. sustainable practices is a good question. the fact that they have successfully incor-
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porated sustainability into their culture created governance structures related between intent and action: Although
and understand that it can be a source of to sustainability and made substantive, some 60% of the responding companies
competitive advantage. long-term investments; the other group said they were actively building aware-
Similarly, according to Sheila Bonini had not. According to the authors calcu- ness within the company of the sustain-
and Steven Swartz, the authors of Profit lations, an investment of $1 at the begin- ability agenda, in most cases an overall
with Purpose: How organizing for sus- ning of 1993 in a value-weighted port- plan was lacking for attacking sustain-
tainability can benefit the bottom line, folio of high-sustainability companies ability and delivering results.
which appeared in the 2014 summer would have grown to $22.60 by the end The message is clear: The economic
issue of McKinsey on Sustainability & of 2010, compared with $15.40 for the benefits are there, and some companies
Resource Productivity, sustainability pro- portfolio of low-sustainability companies. are successfully making sustainability
grams are not only strongly correlated The high-sustainability companies also work for them. Others could do more,
with good financial performance, they did better with respect to return on assets much more, but they just need to figure
also play a role in creating it. The article (34 percent) and return on equity (16 out how. At a conference hosted by Mott
went on to cite the recent research by percent). MacDonald Chairman Keith Howells
three economists (two from Harvard and And in 2012, the MIT Sloan Manage- in London on making business sense of
one from the London Business School) ment Review published a special report, sustainability, speakers offered a number
suggesting that sustainability initiatives The Business of Sustainability, on of pointers on how to do just that.
can actually help to improve financial the findings and insights from the first Among their recommendations:
performance. According to the authors: annual Business of Sustainability Sur- Scrutinize why you do things, not just
The researchers examined two vey. This survey found that although what and how. Be clear what your core
matched groups of 90 companies. The the overwhelming majority of compa- values are and be consistent in all you
companies operated in the same sectors, nies still had to commit aggressively to do, right through your supply chain.
were of similar size and also had similar sustainability, once companies actually Another was: Integrate sustainability
capital structures, operating performance do commit, they find they start to reap into business strategy and execution. Sus-
and growth opportunities. The only substantial rewards. However, the tainability is all about integrated think-
significant difference: One group had survey also found a considerable gap ingopportunities, interconnections,
Plasticstoday.com Global Plastics RePoRt 2015 33
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THE RIGHT PARTS FOR A BETTER
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notion of sustainability in plastics is a

laughable proposition for many people,
even as the large ma-terials produc-
ers pour immense amounts into R&D
funding for greener production process-
es and materials, machine manufactur-
ers work steadily to increase the energy
efficiency of the machinery used and
converters seek to upgrade their prod-
ucts for increased resource efficiency.
For consumers, however, its mainly
the end-of-life issues that count. While
relishing the safety, convenience and
affordability of plastics in everything
from packaging to underwear, because
risks, solutions, impacts. It improves are managed. Sustainability is an indica- of the highly visible effects of poorly
efficiency, productivity and value. It tor of good stewardship. organized end-of-life solutions, consum-
supports and enhances the governance ers will continue to judge the efforts of
systems most companies already have in Sustainability in plastics industry in light of the (marine) litter
place. The organizations that have used How does all of this relate to the problem.
it to strengthen their businesses have plastics industry? To say the least, Consequently, waste management
aligned their values, mission and goals the plastics industry starts at a clear targets and strategies have now become
with sustainability. And: Use sustain- disadvantage. political issues. As consumers grow
ability to enhance your market credibili- In the mind of the public, plastics more aware, the plastics industry is
ty. Investors are looking for transparency are firmly bound up with litter and increasingly being held to account
and responsibility in the way companies cheap manufacturing. Hence, the morally, if not legallyfor its actions.

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Fairly or unfairly, the plastics industry better national and international col- Yet basically, sustainability is a mind-
is associated with wastefulness and lit- laboration programs and communication set. Recognizing that sustainability can
ter, and is seen as a major contributor to on the collection, recycling and re-use actually be a driver of success is the first
the throwaway society. Because of this of plastics, in order to boost recycling step. However, acting on this realization
perception, the industry cannot afford to rates. Plastic litter is being attacked at requires companies to change the way
sit back and wait it out, and nor should the sourcethink plastic bag bansand they do things, which is, perhaps, one
it. After all, the plastics industry is also a designers are starting to address end-of- of the hardest things to do. It requires
major global employer, and sustainable life questions about waste plastic at the thought, planning, energy, time and
business practices have been shown to design stage. The valorization of plastic good communication. However, if the
have a positive impact on a companys waste, whether through recycling or example of, say, DuPont is anything to
bottom line. Moreover, in Europe, it is incineration (plastics retain the calorific go by, it would appear to be more than
one of the five most innovative sectors. value of the oil used to make them), is worth it. According to the authors of
But, perhaps, most important is the fact attracting increasing attention, leading to the McKinsey article referred to above,
that the plastics industry has a compel- less plastic being shunted into landfills. DuPont began its sustainability opera-
ling message to get across: Plastics are Companies themselves are taking steps tions more than 20 years ago as a mat-
essential if the needs of a sustainable to boost production efficiency; another ter of risk reduction. Since then, these
society are to be met. way action is being taken is by improv- have turned into a major profit center.
ing their natural resource management, According to this article, the company
Sustainability in practice cutting their consumption of water and has invested $879 million in R&D for
Various efforts are already in progress. energy, reducing waste by re-using pro- products with quantifiable environmen-
Standards and regulations are being put duction scrap, and cutting their carbon tal benefits since 2011 and recorded $2
in place that require measurable results, emissions. Bioplastics are gaining cred- billion in annual revenue from products
which go a long way toward legitimizing ibility as innovative materials that can that reduce GHG emissions and an
green certifications and combatting gre- add value through their intrinsic proper- additional $11.8 billion in revenues from
enwashing. Also, campaigns to educate ties, which, it should be noted, do not non-depletable resources. Not bad at all.
the public have been launched, as have always include biodegradability. The bottom line? Sustainability pays.
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InjectIon MoldIng
Micro-molding 101:
Ensuring manufacturability
As parts and features shrink, the micro-molding processing window narrows, creating a host of
manufacturability challenges.
Jeff Randall, MRPC
T
he proliferation of rapid prototyp- material be? Today, it isnt as
ing and additive manufacturing has simple as saying that the part
made it much easier for designers to should be made from PEEK,
produce prototypes or sample parts with for example, because different
material properties that more closely grades of PEEK are available,
resemble those of production parts. In some of which exhibit bet-
the past, the range of materials selected ter flow characteristics than
for rapid prototyping applications was others. Using a certain grade
very narrow and not very functional. But of PEEK may make the part
as these materials improve, designers are easier to mold, but it may also
increasingly able to do much more test- compromise its physical prop-
ing than previously using prototypes. erties. Thus, when the engineer
While this capability represents a great considers the design of the part,
technological advancement, it can also it is also necessary to consider
produce some false positives during the the materials processability and
product development phase. It is possible the design features that relate to
to produce a rapid prototype, test it, and this processability.
A micro-molded part measures less than 1 mm in length.
go too far in the process without realizing
that the design is not very manufacturable Designing molds for because it eliminates the possibility that the
on a larger scale. In fact, in some cases, a manufacturability chemical can leach into the part. However,
design cannot be micro-molded at all; it In addition to carefully selecting the a downside to using stainless steel molds is
can be produced only using rapid proto- right material for the job, the design that they do not offer good thermal con-
typing. Thus, this article is a cautionary engineer should consider the features of ductivity, which becomes even more chal-
tale directed at designers to ensure that the mold, or tooling, used to produce lenging to achieve as the part and the mold
they consider the manufacturability of a the component. As the component details shrink.
design before they go too far down the shrinks and incorporates finer and finer Another consideration for designers of
path and become too locked into a design details, the molds features tend to micro-molded parts is where the part will
that may not be reversible or susceptible shrink, as well, necessitating greater pre- be gated, or filled. The point at which
to a redesign down the road. cision. Associated with the mold and all material enters into the mold cavity is
The challenge associated with micro- of its components is the need to ensure known as the gate. The problem with
molding is that as features and parts proper thermal, or temperature, con- the gate is that it may leave a small ves-
shrink, the processing windowor the trolregardless of whether the material tige of material on the part, which must
ability to mold parts with thinner and in question is a plastic, liquid silicone, or either be acceptable in the final product
thinner geometries and smaller fea- other material. Like the part itself, mold or must be removed through secondary
turesnarrows. Thus, the manufactur- components are getting smaller and processing. This, of course, adds cost to
ability of a micro-molded component smaller, making it increasingly difficult the product. The location of the gate can
must be considered even more carefully to heat or cool them and to provide a also result in localized effects that can
as parts approach the micro scale. consistent molding environment. change the parts physical properties. For
With many medical device compo- example, the pressure required to cause
Materials nents, materials such as stainless steel are the material to flow into the mold cavity
One of the most important parameters often used to make the molds. Because through the restricted gate can result in
that the designer should bear in mind such molds do not corrode or rust, they concentrated stress, increasing the shear
when producing a micro-molded part do not require the use of rust-preventive in the gate area and producing a poten-
is material selection: What will the final chemicals. This is hugely advantageous tially defective part.
40 global PlastIcs RePoRt 2015 PlastIcstoday.coM
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InjectIon MoldIng
Five tips For is inserted into the mold at an angle so

micro-molding medical draft so that the part can be ejected from the that it moves away from the part as the
device components mold as easily as possible. Although it may be part is being ejected.
possible to mold a part with a minimal amount But if the parts features are under-
of draft, the part may undergo stress when it cut, face each other, and are too close
1. Know Your L/D Ratio is ejected from the mold, especially when it together, there is no real chance for the
When micro-molding medical device parts, the has features that tend to shrink onto a core. mold components to move to clear the
design engineer must be aware of the length/ For example, without sufficient draft, parts with undercut without hitting the oppos-
diameter (L/D) ratio. We know that we can micro- female features that shrink onto a core pin or ing mold components, which are also
mold very small parts with thin walls. But there is with two ribs separated by a narrow space can trying to move out of their undercuts.
a difference between molding a part thats 0.005 be stressed when they are removed from the Sometimes, it is necessary to be creative
in. thick and 0.020 in. long and a part thats mold. Material selection also plays an important in the tooling approach to work around
0.005 in. thick and 1 in. long because length of role in the draft required. Different grades of such restrictions, making it incumbent
flow versus material thickness comes into play. material shrink at different rates, and some on the design engineer to be cognizant
The appropriate ratio depends on the material a materials are stickier than others. of the challenges before getting too
designer selects. While many material suppliers locked into a design.
provide this information to customers, they tend 4. Choose the right material for the job
to be somewhat guarded about providing it until Theres an old engineering adage: When in Know your design
they are familiar with the part design because doubt, build it stout of things you know about. As soon as a part design is complet-
they dont want to commit to a material prema- This advice is great, but it may not be ideal in edor even conceivedit should be
turely and lead the client down the wrong path. every situation. Alternative materials may exhibit reviewed immediately to determine
Nevertheless, such data from material suppliers better processability and produce better parts whether it can withstand all the manu-
can be used as a good starting point for deter- than well-known materials. Thus, if the engineer facturability challenges it will face. The
mining the viability of a design. is not already locked into a material because design engineers should review the mate-
of regulatory or business constraints, alterna- rial selection, the part geometry, the
2. Beware of undercuts tive materials may improve processability while ability to fill the cavity with material, the
Another pitfall is undercuts. Wherever an under- reducing part costs and increasing part quality. ability of the mold to eject the part from
cut appears, or wherever a hole exists thats A rule of thumb, therefore, is to keep an open the cavity, and the ability of all the mold
not aligned with the normal opening and closing mind when selecting materials because a differ- components to sustain proper thermal
of the mold, side actions or secondary opera- ent material may provide the engineer greater control to achieve optimal cooling or
tions are required to create the feature. While freedom in designing a part. heating of the cavity.
not a bad thing per se, creating such features One of the tools that can be
tends to increase the cost of the tooling and 5. Keep it simple. employed during such reviews is
makes it more challenging to cool or heat the Economies can be achieved by trying to design MRPCs MoldFlow simulation, a
tool uniformly. In addition, performing secondary a part with multiple functions. However, engi- method by which it is possible to
operations can extend the cycle time and result neers can sometimes box themselves in by testfrom a theoretical or from a
in higher tooling-maintenance expenses. attempting to do so. Thus, it might be better to simulation standpointdifferent gate
design a couple of simple parts and marry them locations, mold and melt temperatures,
3. Double-check your draft together through a secondary or overmolding and material processing parameters.
Draftor the release angle from the moldis operation than to create one multifunctional This method allows engineers to
another important consideration. Normal to part. If youre trying to do too much, you may simulate the cavity-filling process, part
the direction of the parting line, features need be trying to do too much. warping as a result of residual stresses,
cooling times, pack times, and pres-
sures. Much work has been performed
The design engineer must also ask it does not have the same restrictions to correlate simulations with actual
how the part will be ejected from the as molding tooling. Rapid prototyp- product results, thus allowing engi-
mold. In an initial design review, a part ing can create features with oppos- neers to reasonably predict the robust-
may have reasonable wall thickness and ing undercuts or details that are not ness of the molding process.
features, but the geometry may not allow within the normal opening and closing
ejector pins to remove the part from the direction of the mold. And since parts Jeff Randall is Vice President of Engi-
mold. Thus, the engineer must take this with such features would not release neering at MRPC (Butler, WI), a manu-
factor into consideration, as well. normally from the mold, a secondary facturer of silicone, medical rubber, and
side actioneither of a mechanical, thermoplastic components and assemblies
Rapid prototyping vs. hydraulic or pneumatic naturecould for the medical device industry.
micro-molding be necessary. Alternatively, the mold
One of the dilemmas associated with could require some type of lifterin This article originally appeared in the
the rapid prototyping process is that essence, an ejector pin or feature that June 2014 issue of MD+DI.
PlastIcstoday.coM global PlastIcs RePoRt 2015 41
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Plastic Packaging
Smooth package gives

CoverGirl an efficiency edge
A finessed structural design for the new UltraSmooth foundation blister package elevates the consumer
experience, delivers key production advantages and performs in existing retail displays.
Lisa McTigue Pierce
W
hen CoverGirl developed its
UltraSmooth foundation make-
up, it needed a package that aptly
communicated the products promise
of a smooth, unblemished look. After
multiple design iterations, packaging
engineers at Procter & Gamble (P&G;
Cincinnati, OH) and blister manufac-
turer Placon (Madison, WI) created a
two-piece package with no hard edges
but plenty of consumer, manufacturing
and retail benefits.
Consumer-facing features
CoverGirls UltraSmooth foundation
specially formulated with optical concealers
and sister-brand Olays skin-smoothing
serum to tame fine facial hair for a smooth,
uniform lookwon a 2014 Breakthrough
Award from Allure magazine.
According to Dave Wilson, P&Gs
Principal Scientist/Engineer for Global
Package Development, Delivery Systems
and Devices, it was important for the
package to reflect the products smooth
promise, which is why the front of the
blister has no harsh or sharp lines. The
smooth, rounded front panel conveys the
product equity and performance attri-
butes better than a sharp corner of a car-
ton, Wilson says. He points out another
benefit of the blister format: The clear The UltraSmooth package slopes on the front so there is only one side, at the left. This photo shows all
clamshell offers more product visibility four labels: two on the front, one on the side and one on the back.
and ability to see the shade than a fold-
ing paper or clear carton. The recyclable with shelf impact. The two blister pieces easily at point of purchase and do not
blisters are made of Placons EcoStar simply snap closed and arent sealed with attempt [to steal the product]. Yet, easy-
amorphous polyethylene terephthalate glue or welded with heat, which also open is a consumer convenience feature
(APET) recycled extruded rollstock. lowered the cost of the package. When specifically designed into the package.
Clear pressure-sensitive labels on the asked about possible pilfering in the Tabs at the bottom of the back piece
front panel let consumers see as much of store, Wilson replies, The seal flange bend back easily so they can be gripped
the foundation color as possible without has the appearance to the consumer of and pulled apart. Additionally, the pack-
removing the tube. Silver hot-foil stamp- being an RF-type [radio-frequency weld- age is reclosable. Once purchased, the
ing on the labels, as well as on the tube, ed] permanent seal. As such, consumers resealable secondary pack can be used as
add a touch of luxury to the design along typically do not realize it can be opened an organizer over the life of the product
42 global Plastics RePoRt 2015 Plasticstoday.com
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Plastic Packaging
to hold the applicator and tube together

as a kit, Wilson says.
Making itbetter
Through meticulous re-engineering and
revision, P&G and Placon also finessed
the blisters for production efficiency,
from manufacturing at Placon through
packaging at P&G.
For starters, P&G saved 30% of the
projected tooling costs by designing the
front and back pieces to use the same
final trim tool. Placon Sales Engineer
Lewis Lee explains, By using inter-
changeable part ejector pucks along with
designing the back mold to run on the
upper form platen and the front mold to
run on the lower platen, both the sleek,
elongated lids and bases were able to run The undercut design (circled) allows the blister lid to snap into the base to secure the package without
with the same identical, final trim tool heat sealing or RF welding. The same undercut allows the bases, and the lids, to stack rather than nest
for easy denesting on the packaging line.
for a total project cost savings.
The package has four labels: two on tion. The simultaneous label application to ensure a snug product fit within the
the front (top and bottom), one on the is repeatable and has another benefit, package, despite minor variances in
left side and one on the back. Why so according to Lee: The single-pass pro- product density.
many? The various labels are needed to cess improves run efficiency, virtually However, there is a little wiggle
provide critical benefit and use informa- eliminating label-to-label registration room for the applicator so consum-
tion to the consumer without obstruct- concerns while also eliminating label ers could easily see that it is a separate
ing the ability to see the shade and con- bubbling or warping with no overhang piece in the package. But the applicator
tents of the pack, Wilson replies. due to precision placement. is held in place for upright display. A
Specifically: Labeled bases and lids are stacked for formed swoosh was designed into the
The upper front label has the brand shipment (rather than being nested) due package to prevent the applicator, which
and product name; to an ingenious undercut design in the is loaded first, from sliding down once
The lower front label is printed in four corners of the base and lid that its assembled and standing up, Lee
the color of the shade (in process color) does two things: explains.
to help consumers select the right shade; 1. Keeps parts separated for easy To fit in existing retail spring-loaded
The side label shows consumers the denesting on P&Gs packaging line; pusher displaysand minimize skewing
two-step application process and correct 2. Allows the lid to snap into the or crushingthe package is flat on the
use habits; and base in a secure fit so heat sealing, weld- left side of the front and on the bottom.
The back label includes shade ing or gluing is not needed. Lee affirms This makes aligning the packages easy
name/number again, an ingredient list, that they conducted extensive testing to with those ahead and behind. Addition-
UPC bar code and manufacturer info. make sure the package didnt pop open ally, a slight raised lip was designed on
All four labels are applied by Placon during drop tests yet could still be easily the base of the tray to eliminate packag-
as a value-added service before shipping opened by the consumer via the bottom ing hanging to the product behind it
out the blister bases and lids. pull tabs. when lifted out of the pusher display,
Both front labels are applied at the Lee says.
same time. Placons Lee explains how Shelf impact Lastly, because the front of the blister
this is done: Applying the two clear Even with these consumer and produc- slopes gently from left to right, the tube
labels on the front-facing thermoform tion features in place, P&G and Placon rests at an angle in the package, rather
required precise alignment via a puck still were not done engineering the than head on. As mentioned earlier,
system. The labels are applied and wiped design, which was further finessed for this helps communicate the products
down the smooth, contoured surface retail display. smooth message. But there was a sec-
of the thermoform in one direction as The package cradles the foundation ondary benefit: The width of the blister
the part passes under the label head in a tube securely, with little movement pack fits into the narrower spring-loaded
single, unique process, made possible by in the blister. Lee says, With liquid display of one major retailer.
the curvature of the design. foundation, no two tubes are necessarily
A vision inspection system then identical in density. Worst- and best-case This article originally appeared in the
confirms the labels presence and posi- scenarios were taken into consideration August 2015 issue of Packaging Digest.
Plasticstoday.com global Plastics RePoRt 2015 43
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Materials
Breathing new life into

biomaterials
Material scientists are learning to program biomaterials, giving them the ability to better interface with the body.
Brian Buntz and Chris newmarker
W
e have smartphones. Why not fibers. Such elec-
smart biomaterials? In a way, tronics cannot be
traditional materials destined for sealed off from the
use within the body are like the phones body in the same
from yesteryear: Good for a single pur- manner as, say, a
pose and not much else (though they do pacemaker is with
last for decades). a metal can, Voit
In the past, the best biomaterials says. In fact, it
were thought to be as inert and stable as helps to have them
possible; the best possible outcome for degrade in a con-
a biomaterial was to be ignored by the trolled way so that
Launched in the United States in 2010, the TIGR mesh is billed as the only long-
body. The reason for that aim was clear: cells from the body term absorbable mesh.
Biomaterial degradation was often linked can grow in and
to medical device failure. create a better, safer interface. The substance could enable self-coiling
Now, however, designer biomaterials You have these giant devices that we cochlear implants inside the ear and a
are being devised that can either interface want to interact with very, very small host of cardiovascular implants.
with the body or dissolve, leaving the nerves. It becomes a size-distance prob- Voit is still engaged in preclinical tri-
body to remodel the tissue as it breaks lem. It would be great if we could design als with animals with the technology.
down. You have a lot of little levers to tiny components that are themselves He has financial backers including the
tweak, and those levers are all levers in well-encapsulated enough to prevent Defense Advanced Research Projects
organic chemistry, says Walter E. Voit, long-term disruption from the body but Agency, GlaxoSmithKline and Texas
PhD, Assistant Professor of materials sci- still interact with the body in controlled Instruments.
ence and engineering at the University of ways, Voit says. 3M Co. undertook research on thiol-
Texas at Dallas. Over the years, material scientists type polymers in the late 1970s but did
In addition to breakthroughs in mate- have worked on a variety of synthetic not commmercialize it, probably because
rial science, advances in implantable biomaterials that degrade in the body in computers at the time were not avail-
electronics, 3-D printing and computer a controlled manner. The first notable able to handle the data rates that now
processing have also changed the game. example of this was the debut of the first make these devices useful, Voit says. In
Material scientists are not only tweak- polyglycolide sutures in the 1960s, which addition, poor shelf life of the materials
ing how they make polymers and how gradually dissolved, eliminating the need restricted their commercial applications.
those polymers are linked together, but for a physician to remove them later. Only in recent years have researchers
also how they interface with electronics, Until recent years, though, Voit begun to capitalize on the thiol-type
according to Voit. could only count a handful of degradable polymers ability to soften and change
The tools of today allow us to do materials included in FDA master files. shape under human body temperatures
that with far greater precision than what But that is gradually changing, and bio- for promising potential commercial
could have been done 20 or 30 years degradable implants are in ever-greater applications. A polymer, for example,
ago, says Voit, whose group has received demand. could be engineered to coil around a
funding support from GlaxoSmithKline. A new world of advanced biomaterials nerve inside the human body.
One example of what Voit is describ- has arrived. Another aspect of the polymers that
ing is the use of dissolvable thiolene/ can be controlled is degradation, based
acrylate-based substrates to house flex- Programming degradation on placement of ester-based substrates.
ible biocompatible electronics (such as A major focus of Voits research has Such controlled degradation could be
gold). Those electronics can be used involved shape-shifting thiolene/acry- useful in a number of ways.
to interact with nerve bundles only 60 lates that could open the door for a For example, the shape-shifting poly-
microns in diameter, or even tinier nerve whole new host of medical applications. mers could be used to place electronics
44 Global Plastics rePort 2015 Plasticstoday.coM
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Materials
where they are neededsuch as coiled the challenges with anything resorbable so that it can be registered for that appli-
around a nerve, and then the polymers is what is left behind, says Tac-Whei cation with the appropriate regulatory
could degrade away, leaving the electron- Ong, President of Novus Scientific Inc.s body, says Sowa. But we are open to
ics in place. U.S. subsidiary, based in San Diego, CA. sublicensingfor instance, doing it for
It could give you a really nice con- What is going to support this tissue knees or something like that.
trolled integration of biological tissue from reherniating again? he asks.
onto devices. If we can control how the Several years ago, biologic mesh was Material marriages of
body responds to devices, that allows us hailed as a promising new treatment for convenience
to control a lot better the electrical func- applications including hernia repair, Ong Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute
tionality of these devices, Voit says. says. But those products failed in terms for Manufacturing Technology and
Another area of Voits research of remodeling. In addition, biological Advanced Materials in Bremen, Ger-
involves silyl ether thiol-ene networks, mesh tends to cost considerably more many, are working to develop a strong
which Voit has found can degrade with- than synthetic mesh. biodegradable biomaterial of a different
in 30 minutes. Voit sees potential in the It is also problematic to use metal- sort: Metal-ceramic composites strong
use of these materials as drug-delivery based mesh for hernia repair. If you are enough to be used as suture anchors to
vehicles. looking at strength alone, titanium is the treat tendon rupture.
strongest material you could use, Ong While traditional suture anchors suc-
Toughening up biomaterials says. Titanium-based mesh failed miser- ceed in holding torn tendons in place,
One limitation of many resorbable bioma- ably when used for this application. The the implants, which are made of tita-
terials is their strength profile. While offer- abdominal wall is constantly moving, nium or an inert polymer, either remain
ing considerable strength upfront, their and inserting a stiff metallic mesh in that permanently in the body after the ten-
durability degrades quickly over time. part of the body can cause the tissue sur- don has healed or are retrieved surgically.
One company, Novus Scientific, rounding it to rip away. Similar to the aforementioned
sought to solve this problem through a So how does the TIGR mesh over- example with the TIGR mesh, biode-
material innovation that involved knit- come these problems? It is designed to gradable tissue anchors must offer suffi-
ting two degradable polymers together to offer dynamic load transfer to the sur- cient strength over a relatively long time
create a surgical mesh that provides tissue rounding tissue, thus helping to spur period. Fraunhofer researchers employed
support for six to nine months. healthy connective tissue growth rather a similar strategy, too, using two materi-
The first of the two polymers, a copo- than scar tissue. als with different degradation speeds.
lymer of glycolide, lactide and trimeth- The knitted material offers support Iron alloys were used to corrode slowly,
ylene carbonate (TMC), was engineered while also stretching dynamically as the ensuring high mechanical strength, while
for fast resorption, offering mechanical bodys natural tissue does. This allows tricalcium phosphate (TCP) ceramic
strength for two months. The second, a the surrounding tissue to be trained to decomposes quickly, and can stimulate
copolymer of lactide and TMC, main- be remodeled, Ong says. bone growth while aiding the ingrowth
tains mechanical strength for six to nine The body, after all, responds to load. of the implant.
months. The mesh material completely Muscles and bone that are unused atro- Fraunhofer researchers used powder
degrades within three years. phy. Consider how astronauts in space injection molding to create the com-
On the market internationally, the lose bone and muscle mass, for instance. ponents. This process offers the ability
TIGR Matrix is being employed for TIGR was developed to respond to produce complex structures cost-
abdominal wall repair and hernia preven- to mechanical transduction. Within effectively and in large numbers. It also
tion. That is why, in this case, it holds the fibers of the collagen, there [are] allows for properties such as density and
the abdominal wall together for that six actin fibers that respond to load. As it porosity to be controlled selectively,
to nine months. A healthy person responds to load as you move, it aligns which is crucial when developing materi-
needs six months to recover after a sur- collagen in the direction of the force, als with high mechanical strength.
gery involving the abdominal wall, says Ong says. This is active mechanical In addition to improving how some
Stefan Sowa, Vice President of Opera- remodeling. This leads the body to shoulder surgeries are performed, the
tions and Site Manager at Novus Scien- develop type-1 collagen, which is func- underlying materials and manufactur-
tifics Uppsala, Sweden, headquarters. tional connective tissue, rather than type- ing technology used to make the tissue
The quick-dissolving fiber offers 3 collagen, which is scar tissue. anchors could serve as a building block
strength initially after implantation. In The company is broadening the scope for other biodegradable implants, as well.
the first period, it keeps the tissue fixated of applications for the material beyond The German researchers plan to con-
very tightly. It is stiff, Sowa says. Once hernia reconstruction, and the material is tinue exploring how these materials react
the first type of fiber dissolves, you are now used in breast surgery, as well. within the body.
left with the more elastic mesh. The company is also open to selling
This variable strength and elasticity the material to medical device companies This article originally appeared in the
profile assists the body in healing itself, on a license basis. Anyone who wants a January/February 2015 issue of Medical
according to the company. One of new indication would have to do a study Product Manufacturing News.
46 Global Plastics rePort 2015 Plasticstoday.coM
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mold will produce quality parts
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InjectIon Molds
Additive manufacturing
optimizes conformal cooling
Additive manufacturing eliminates the limitations of conventional machining techniques in the design of
cooling channels.
Mike Godber, rPM international tool & die
T
he process of designing a mold tool
involves a series of compromises
between sometimes conflicting
requirements. These include:
meeting the customers part quality
expectations, such as flatness, surface
finish and an absence of warpage, sinks
and blemishes;
splitting the designed part geometry in
a way that results in robust tool cavity
parts that are readily manufacturable;
filling the cavity with plastic and
incorporating runner, gate and venting
design;
cooling the tool without hot or cold Cooling channels are visible in a laser-sintered insert cut in half.
spots, and without compromising part
quality while maximizing the produc- and, hence, cheaper and more-accurate and baffles. This can shorten setup time,
tion rate; finished products. which is often the longest part of the
ejecting the plastic part evenly without Conformal cooling is made pos- mold cycle time, while simultaneously
damage. sible by using an additive manufactur- improving part quality, especially in the
These five basic design requirements ing process, where metal powder is common problem areas of distortion and
have to fit around the part design in the melted by focused laser beams, layer warping.
same space. If one requirement has more upon layer. These layers are built up Cooling channels can be made in any
flexibility, it leaves greater options in the and joined together as a solid block via shape, so diameters can vary; baffles can
other areas. For example, the use of spark direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). The be built in to introduce turbulence and,
erosion to create square recesses means layer thickness can vary down to 0.02 hence, a cooling effect; and cross sections
that a tool does not have to be split into mm, depending on the finish required, can be oval or square. The accuracy of
as many pieces as would be needed if balanced against the time and cost of cooling channels is not compromised by
only conventional machining techniques manufacture. A solid metal part is pro- long drilling lengths that are prone to
were used. duced without limitations in its internal wandering, so the cooling channels func-
Conformal cooling is an analysis or external geometry. This allows cooling tion as they were designed to do.
to establish the most effective uniform channels of any shape to be built into In addition, conformal cooling can
cooling of the injection molded parts. the part (following the cavity shape). The leave more space for the other require-
This generally results in a more complex external geometry can be machined and ments listed above, which can lead to
cooling channel arrangement than can polished to ensure the molding surface better optimization of the tool in these
be achieved by conventional machin- has a smooth finish. areas. For instance, a gate position that
ing. Additive manufacturing techniques Conformal cooling offers much would be ideal to fill the part but impos-
allow the cooling channels to be made greater flexibility in the design of cooling sible to accommodate with conventional
exactly as the analysis demands, without for the mold. With the correct computer cooling channels may be possible with a
the limitations that normal machining flow and cooling analysis of the part, it laser-sintered insert. Therefore, to maxi-
techniques have in following complex is possible for mold cooling to be optimize the benefits of conformal cooling,
cavity geometry. This process results in mized in a way that is not possible using the whole tool design needs to be inte-
quicker, more-even cooling of the plastic conventional drilling, plugs, bubblers grated around it.
48 Global PlastIcs RePoRt 2015 PlastIcstoday.coM
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InjectIon Molds
No need to compromise tool life Indeed, conformal cooling is a game- ejector pins. In the upper right is the
Now that conformal cooled inserts can changing technology for complex tool insert with a complex arrangement of
be built from fully heat-treatable H13 design, making the previously impos- conformal cooling channels with feed
tool steel, there is no need to compro- sible not only possible but practical and lines from the back of the part. The con-
mise tool life to experience the benefits. affordable, as well. ventional and conformal inserts on the
This steel option also allows conformal The following example of an insert fixed half of the tool are shown in the
cooling to be applied to pressure die for an injection molding tool, which was bottom left and right, respectively.
cast tooling. Zinc die casting would be made with conventional cooling chan- The difference in cooling channels
an ideal application, as the amount of nels and re-made with conformal cooling between the two sets of inserts is strik-
cooling in the tool is often the limiting channels, provides a direct comparison in ing, with the conformal design not even
factor in the achievable production rate. costs and benefits. considered necessary, let alone deemed
Blowmolding is another process that In this case, the conventional insert possible, in the first empirically designed
could be improved by the application of cost $1200, whereas the conformal set. However, component warpage was
conformal cooling. cooled insert cost $1250. The small cost eliminated and the cycle time of the tool
While laser sintering has been used difference was a result of the higher cost was reduced by 30% in this instance.
for decades, there is still a learning curve of laser sintering, which was mitigated The cost of the conformal inserts was
to its best use in conformal cooling by a reduction in machining time for quickly recovered, and similar results
applications. Guidance is needed for the cavity surfaces. In production, the could be achieved with other injection
where and how to use the technique to conformal cooled insert reduced cycle mold tools.
ensure a positive cost/benefit ratio.
One area where a company with
expertise in the design and manufacture
of conformal cooled mold tools can help
is in mixing the metal-building process
(laser sintering) and the metal-removal
process (machining) to achieve the best
results. Metal building can be applied to
a pre-machined blank, so that the total
volume of laser sintering is minimized to
areas where it is needed, while the tool
part is kept in one piece and cost is kept
in check. The completed laser-sintered
part then must be machined to achieve
the desired cavity surface finish; thus,
the correct machining allowance must
be added to the sintering process, where
appropriate.
As a policy, New Zealand-based tool-
maker RPM International Tool & Die
computer models all tools in 3D CAD,
A conventionally cooled moving half insert with 16-mm-diameter blind holes and baffles is pictured in the
currently Creo2 (formerly known as Pro
top left image. On the upper right is the insert with a complex arrangement of conformal cooling channels
Engineer). This means that all thermal with feed lines from the back of the part. Conventional and conformal inserts on the fixed half of the tool
and flow simulations and water channel are shown in the bottom left and right, respectively.
designs can be accurately modeled and
analyzed, no matter how complex the time from 24 to 18 seconds and mini- This article was authored by Mike
geometry. With 5-axis machining and mized warpage. In this example, the need Godber, who works as a tool designer at
laser sintering, these 3D CAD models for conformal cooling is not obvious, New Zealands largest toolmaker, RPM
are accurately reproduced in metal with but the benefits are clear and very cost International Tool & Die. The company
no geometrical compromises. effective. It shows how this technology has particular expertise in the design and
should be considered for use in any tool, manufacture of conformal cooled mold
Game-changing technology for not just very difficult ones. tools. By integrating this technology into
complex tool design Another example of a tool with con- the whole tool design, RPM is able to
Using laser sintering to produce tool formal cooling, made at RPM, is shown provide customers with cost-effective, high-
parts is now a proven technology. It above. The upper left image shows a quality products. For more information on
should be a serious consideration for all conventionally cooled moving half insert conformal cooling and direct metal laser
jobs that pose challenges in the tool split- with 16-mm-diameter blind holes and sintering, go to the company website at
ting, filling, ejecting and cooling balance. baffles. Note that the white holes are for www.rpmtoolanddie.com.
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Fakuma Preview
Fakuma goes from

strength to strength
The international plastics event has

been sold out since February 2015.
NORBERT SPARROW
O
n paper, Fakuma shouldnt work. lodging. Again, these gasthouses can be vation, says Konrad Hellmann, Sabic
Friedrichshafen, Germany, and quite charming, but not what one might Country Leader, Germany, for the com-
environs, which include nearby classify as accommodations for the busi- pany headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi
Switzerland and Austria, is a lovely spot ness traveller. Arabia. Fakumas value lies in it being
for a relaxing three-day weekend, but an Getting to and from the show can be a place for trade and business develop-
international plastics trade show? an hours-long ordeal. The word Stau, ment. As a working fair, it enables us
Situated on the northern shore of German for congestion, will become part to engage with our customers on a per-
Lake Constance, with Austria a short of the show visitors vocabulary along sonal level, helping them find the right
trek east and Switzerland due south, with Grss Gott and Prost. solutions to their business challenges,
Friedrichshafen is surrounded by a And yet, not only has Fakuma sur- explains Hellmann.
beguiling tapestry of apple orchards and vived for 30 years and 23 showsit goes The events intimacy also appeals to
picturesque villages. It has earned a his- dark on K yearsit continues to thrive. Rmi Daneyrole, who handles EMEA
torical footnote as the place where Fer- Fakuma 2014 was a record-breaking marketing and communications for
dinand von Zeppelin built his dirigible year, with nearly 1800 exhibitors and DuPont Performance Polymers (Gene-
factory at the end of the 19th century. 46,000 visitors from 117 countries. This va). It is a convenient venue for the key
The Zeppelin Museum recounts the years show has been sold out since Feb- players in the value chain with a strong
rise and fall, if youll pardon the expres- ruary 2015 and looks set to equal, if not focus on processing within an intimate
sion, of this erstwhile form of air travel. surpass, that record. number of halls, compared with NPE or
Like all German cities of a certain size, As these numbers attest, Fakuma is K, says Daneyrole.
Friedrichshafen has a messe (the English not a small, regional show by any means, Dr. Christoph Schumacher, Depart-
equivalent of convention center does but compared with industry behemoths ment Manager, Marketing and Corpo-
not do justice to these often expansive K and NPE, it is a more intimate rate Communications, at Arburg takes it
spaces), but Dsseldorf, Hannover or affairmore conducive to conducting a step further, saying that the geographi-
Stuttgart, this is not. business. And thats one of the things cal proximity of the event to Arburgs
Hotel rooms in town fill up well in many people like about it. headquarters in Lossburg, Germany,
advance of Fakuma, so exhibitors and At K, Chinaplas and NPE, it is makes it feel almost like an in-house
visitors scatter throughout the country- about showing off our products and event for us. K is all about vision, adds
side in a radius of several miles to find demonstrating our commitment to inno- Schumacher, but Fakuma is a place
50 Global Plastics rePort 2015 Plasticstoday.com
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where work gets done. Here, we engage of them presenting new products and Additive manufacturing, aka 3D
in numerous in-depth discussions with processes. Visitors will hail from more printing, has been part of the Fakuma
existing and prospective customers from than 100 countries, according to show mix for many years, but the applications
Germany, Europe and overseas, and suc- organizer P.E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG. continue to expand, and the technology
ceed in getting many specific projects off To make it worth their while, some new will be featured prominently in October.
the ground. features have been announced for the In addition to its impact on tool and
Intimacy does not preclude an inter- 2015 show. moldmaking, new and alternative ma-
national scope, and Fakuma continues to terials are offering [novel] options in the
attract a global audience in ever increas- additive manufacturing, production of samples and series parts
ing numbers. That adds to the appeal. with the 3D printing process, which is,
While German-speaking markets aka 3d printing, has in many cases, more than just supple-
are the dominant presence, the fair has menting injection molding, thermo-
expanded into an event for the entire been part of the Fakuma forming and extrusion, writes the show
European and international plastics com- organizer.
munity, says Hellmann, adding that this mix for many years A sampling of exhibitors and products
reach makes Fakuma one of the most that will be showcased at the event are
exciting shows he attends. The West Foyer will host a Thermo- featured in the following pages.
Daneyrole echoes those sentiments. forming Island, where visitors can gain Fakuma 2015 will be held in Fried-
DuPont is a global company, he notes, a more thorough understanding of this richshafen from October 13 to 17.
and the fact that a growing number of technology. The goal of this collective Opening hours this year will be 9 AM to
visitors come from abroad is very encour- booth is to provide in-depth insights into 5 PM on weekdays and 9 AM to 3 PM
aging and worth us spending resources. the thermoforming process, especially on Saturday.
He and his peers will be delighted to in light of the fact that modern thermo- For more information about Fakuma
learn that manufacturers and distribu- forming is approaching unprecedented 2015, go to the event website at www.
tors from 35 industrialized nations will accuracy levels, writes Schall in a press fakuma-messe.de.
be exhibiting at Fakuma this year, many release. Tschss, and see you at the show!
Plasticstoday.com Global Plastics rePort 2015 51
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injection molding machines to Fakuma

2015. Improving injection molding pro-
ductivity often can only be achieved with
many small steps, says KraussMaffei, and
it will illustrate this with machines at
booth 7303 in hall 7 that integrate smart
plasticizing, control and automation sys-
tems. The new hydraulic CX series and
all-electric AX SilcoSet for processing
liquid silicone rubber will be among the
featured equipment.
As raw materials become more expen-
sive, reducing the amount of energy,
oil and material that is consumed is
foremost in the minds of plastics pro-
cessors. The new CX molder has an
energy-optimized drive with memory
management system, resulting in a 10%
reduction in energy use, according to the
manufacturer. Moreover, the machines
adaptive process control allows it to
restart quickly and process even difficult
batches of material with high propor-
tions of recycled materials into premium
PolyOnes natural-fiber-reinforced products, which were introduced earlier this year, will take center
stage at its booth. quality components. Homogenization of
the HPS screw enables color masterbatch
PolyOne to showcase reSound extrusion, broadening applications to the proportions to be reduced by up to 30%.
natural-fiber-reinforced products building and construction, sport and lei- KraussMaffei also will feature strik-
PolyOne (Avon Lake, OH) will feature sure, furniture and other sectors. ing laser- and hologram-style surface
developments in natural-fiber-reinforced PolyOne also will present an update to effects made using its CX 160 machine
materials, conductive thermoplastics and its three-dimensional molded interconnect with the support of a dynamically induc-
specialty engineered materials for metal device (3D-MID) technology, which it tive mold temperature control system
replacement applications at Fakuma first presented at Fakuma 2014. The tech- from RocTool. The molds have special
2015 (hall B5, booth 5316). In addition, nology is successful largely because of the surfaces with different effectsmatte
experts from the company will make thermally conductive properties of Poly- and high-gloss with punched holesto
15-minute Tech Talk presentations at Ones Therma-Tech engineered polymers, achieve these designs without requiring
the stand, offering plastics processors the says the company. PolyOne collaborated additional film technology.
opportunity to learn more about indus- with select companies to establish a time- As with all of the KraussMaffei
try developments. and cost-saving means to produce the machines on display, the CX 160 is
The companys reSound NF natural- 3D-MIDs for heat sinks in LED lighting. equipped with a new MC6 multitouch
fiber-reinforced products, which were The technology may be an alternative to control system, which enables all injec-
introduced in March 2015, will be the complex printed circuit boards that tion molding machines and automation
highlighted at Fakuma. The sustainable are used routinely in these applications. components to be centrally controlled.
formulations, containing at least 30% Lastly, PolyOne will host concise Other highlights at the Krauss-
engineered natural fiber by weight, offer Tech Talk presentations at its booth Maffei booth include a demonstration of
an alternative to glass-fiber-reinforced during the show on topics such as metal the FiberForm process, which combines
polypropylene (PP) compounds. replacement technologies, heat manage- injection molding with thermoform-
ReSound materials exhibit mechanical ment using specialty thermoplastics and ing of composite sheets to improve the
properties comparable to PP at 5 to 10% reducing CO2 emissions by using light- strength of fiber-reinforced plastics, and
lower density, and have proven especially weight thermoplastics. the molding of nasal ventilators made of
popular with the automotive industry, liquid silicone rubber. The latter product
according to the company. KraussMaffei goes small to will run on an all-electric AX.
At Fakuma, PolyOne will announce prove a point on injection
availability of the material in brilliant molding productivity First time for Haitian International
colors to support customers projects. Under the banner of Productivity Plus, Germany at Fakuma 2015
The company also will reveal the devel- KraussMaffei (Munich, Germany) is Appearing at Fakuma 2015 for the first
opment of reSound NF formulations for bringing an array of small and mid-sized time under its new corporate name,
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Haitian International Germany (Eber-

mannsdorf) will mold a polypropylene
(PP) salad cup on its MAII900 machine
at booth 1101-1103 in hall A1. Mars
series molders are the most success-
ful servo-hydraulic injection molding
machines in the world, with sales of
more than 120,000 units, according to
the company, which has its international
headquarters in Ningbo, China. The lid
for the cup, also made of PP, is produced
by a fully-electric 1500-kN Zhafir Venus
II series in four seconds. The 2+2 cavity
stack mold as well as the mold for the
cup are provided by the Axmann Co.
Haitian also will showcase its Jupiter
II Series 4500 plus, which it describes
as its smallest two-platen system with
an energy-saving, servo-hydraulic Mars
technology drive.
Just prior to the show, the company
KraussMaffei will highlight integrated plasticizing, control and automation systems at Fakuma.
will break ground on its new production
hall. When completed in early 2016, Aerogen highlights flame- booth 6508) to educate attendees on
the hall will allow Haitian to assemble a retardant technology its flame-treatment technology for the
significant number of machines for the Surface adhesion specialist Aerogen surface improvement of plastics. Flame
European market. (Alton, UK) returns to Fakuma (hall A6, treatment is widely used throughout the
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Fakuma Preview
plastics industry as a practical by the automotive industry.

and economical method of Applications include treat-
preparing surfaces for adhe- ment of car bumpers prior to
sion prior to painting, bond- painting, premium car instru-
ing, laminating, labeling and ment panels prior to lamina-
coating, says the company. tion and car interior compo-
Flame-treatment technol- nents prior to flocking.
ogy activates substrates such
as polypropylene, improving Teknor Apex introduces
surface adhesion characteris- compounds for
tics and enabling many spe- consumer, construction
cial coatings to be applied and and automotive
remain permanently bonded applications
to the surface. Teknor Apex Co. (Pawtucket,
The Beck-Flex system from Beck Automation will have its world premiere at
Aerogen will bring RI) reports that it will bring
Engels booth.
machinery to the show for the to Fakuma 2015 the largest
first time, allowing visitors and most diversified range B5, booth 5315. TPVs, but Teknor Apex has
to see first-hand the British of thermoplastic elastomers Teknor Apex will intro- developed a Sarlink SBC series
designed and manufactured (TPEs) it has ever offered duce styrenic block copolymer for many of the automotive
equipment. to the European market. (SBC) TPEs that provide cost- applications served by TPVs.
The FT Auto FRC flame In doing so, the company performance options comple- A number of these new elas-
treatment combustion genera- wants to underscore its com- menting those of thermo- tomers have received OEM
tor device will be on display, mitment to providing rapid plastic vulcanizates (TPVs). approvals, or are undergoing
along with a variety of flame and responsive support to By offering both TPVs and trials, for applications includ-
treating burner tools. The FT its European customers. The SBCs, Teknor Apex takes a ing window encapsulation,
Auto FRC is typically used company will exhibit in hall polymer-neutral approach to sealing systems, cable duct and
serving customers, making it heating/venting/air-condition-
easier for them to find precise- ing components.
ly the right compound for an
application, said Jan Duyfjes, Engel illustrates process
TPE Director of Sales and optimization via five
Marketing for Teknor Apex in applications
Europe. Engel (Schwertberg, Austria)
Among the compound will demonstrate how intel-
series to be introduced at ligent components and net-
Fakuma are Monprene prod- working can elevate machines
ucts for consumer, construc- and production cells to a new
tion and other applications. level of process optimization
These are offered in standard through five innovative appli-
grades to ensure fast and easy cations for the automotive,
availability of samples and technical molding, teletronics,
small lots, and are invento- packaging and medical indus-
ried at Teknor Apex facilities tries. The company is exhibit-
around the world. The mate- ing in hall A5, booth 5204.
rials include Monprene CP Under the banner of Inject
for consumer products and 4.0, Engel has designed its
Monprene IN for window booth as a smart factory with
gaskets. Custom formulations three core elements:
and pre-colored compounds smart machines that boost
are also available. process capability and
Fakuma 2015 will also quality with self-adapting,
provide a stage for Teknor decentralized systems;
Apex to announce new devel- smart production to ensure
opments involving its Sarlink high levels of productivity
compounds for transportation thanks to horizontal and
applications. Historically, the vertical data integration;
Sarlink range has consisted of smart services that improve
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availability thanks to prox- veneers for automotive
imity and the use of remote applications. The veneers
maintenance tools. are back-injected with a
During the event, all thermoplastic in a single
machine data will be collected step and coated with trans-
on a central computer. The parent polyurethane to
Engel e-factory MES software protect the surface. First The Worlds No. 1 Trade Fair
running on the computer introduced in 2009, the
enables job scheduling, query- first serial application is for Plastics and Rubber
ing of the injection molding imminent at HIB Trim
machines and the creation of Part Solutions. Fakuma
quality reports and documen- visitors will get a preview of
tation. At the same time, visi- the technology, as the pre-
tors will gain insights into the mium wood decor elements
New TPE materials are featured at the Kraiburg TPE booth.
Engel e-connect online cus- are molded in a two-cavity

tomer portal through which mold on an Engel duo
spare parts can be sourced 3550/650 combi M injec-
and ordered and service tion molding machine.
requests can be submitted. In collaboration with part-
The iQ product family, ner companies Schneegans
which enhances process sta- Freudenberg Silicon and
bility by continually analysing Elmet, Engel will produce
the plasticising and molding diaphragms made of glass-
process and making auto- fibre-reinforced polyamide
matic adjustments in case of (PA) and liquid silicone on
deviations from targets, and a victory 200H/60L/140
e-flomo, which autonomously combi injection molding
ensures a constant supply of machine with an integrated k-online.com
cooling water, also will be fea- viper 40 linear robot.
tured at the booth. In each cycle, the robot
Key applications demoed removes eight finished parts
For show information: Messe Dsseldorf North America
by Engel at Fakuma include: and transfers the PA base 150 North Michigan Avenue
Clearmelt technology, bodies to the second set of Suite 2920 _ Chicago, IL 60601
Tel. (312) 781-5180 _ Fax (312) 781-5188
which allows the eco- cavities in the 8+8-cavity info@mdna.com _ www.mdna.com
For hotel and travel arrangements: TTI Travel, Inc.
nomical manufacture of serial mold, where they are Tel. (866) 674-3476 _ Fax (212) 674-3477
decor elements with wood overmolded with silicone.
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While LSR processing is going on, a The advent of high-powered com- prior to injection; cooling does not begin
new set of base bodies is created. puting combined with state-of-the art until after the cavity has been filled. This
A first for the company at Fakuma, materials and highly qualified design enables the production of Class A to
Engel will present an integrated, fully experts has taken computer-aided simu- grained smooth and structured surfaces.
automated process for manufacturing lation engineering to a new level for its Covestro is planning to enter into
thermal switch housings, starting with value-chain partners, says DuPont. It has the production of composites with high-
the raw material and culminating with implemented state-of-the-art advanced performance polycarbonate, primarily for
the 100% tested and labeled metal/ computer modeling and simulation to the automotive, transport and IT indus-
plastic composite parts. The core of help boost confidence in adopting new tries. There is also strong demand in the
the production cell is an Engel insert materials solutions to better provide consumer goods sector for continuous-
60V/35 single vertical machine. A strip material design data and part perfor- fiber-reinforced thermoplastic materials.
uncoiler, press module and processing mance analysis to minimize prototyping. The new materials are particularly
module for thread tapping are posi- Throughout the process, it shares data thin and lightweight, and the solutions
tioned upstream; downstream, there and analysis with its partners using CAE produced so far offer properties superior
are quality controls, a laser marking standard software suites in a transparent, to those of existing solutions based on
system and another press module. non-proprietary environment. aluminum, for example, says Olaf Zll-
In the packaging section of its stand, DuPont works with customers ner, Technical Manager of the composite
Engel will run an e-motion 440/160 throughout the product development business. Furthermore, they are robust,
producing 155-ml round containers cycle, continually advancing materials, freely formable, easy to process and can
with an integrated tamper-proof seal supporting design and optimizing for be recycled multiple times. Just recent-
using a four-cavity mold from Otto processing. It is helping customers pre- ly, while still operating as Bayer Material
Hofstetter. Thanks to in-mold label- dict how our materials will perform from Science, Covestro strengthened its posi-
ing (IML), the production cell will art to part, said Michel Renaud, Head tion in this key future market with the
output ready-to-fill packaging. IML of Design for Europe, Middle East and acquisition of Thermoplast Composite
automation is implemented by Beck Africa at DuPont. GmbH.
Automation (Maryland Heights, MO).
The new Beck-Flex system will have its Good-bye Bayer MaterialScience, Kraiburg features new
global premiere at the Engel booth. hello Covestro compounds for automotive
In the medical section of the booth, Bayer MaterialScience (Leverkusen, Ger- and consumer applications
an Engel e-motion 170/80 TL will many) will step onto the stage of a major Exhibiting in hall B5, booth 5303, Krai-
be producing needle holders for 1-ml international trade show under the name burg TPE (Waldkraiburg, Germany) will
safety syringes in a 16-cavity mold Covestro for the first time at Fakuma present new products developed with a
from Fostag Formenbau. The filigree 2015. The name is a portmanteau of market and customer orientation. The
polystyrene parts, with a shot weight terms embodying its identity, says the new thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are
of 0.08 g, are designed with a prede- company: co stands for collaboration the result of a close, cooperative partner-
termined breaking point that makes with a variety of partners; vest refers to ship with component manufacturers,
it impossible to re-use the disposable investments in modern, large-scale pro- who contributed significantly to the
syringes. duction facilities; and stro is derived from development of the new compounds,
the English word strong and stands for says Kraiburg. This approach garnered
DuPont builds on legacy to create strength in innovation, in the markets the company recognition from Frost
new growth opportunities and with a strong team. It awaits visitors & Sullivan as the best TPE supplier in
DuPont (Geneva) will demonstrate how in hall B4, booth 4206. Europe.
it has shaped the polymers industry since Color and diversity are important At Fakuma, Kraiburg will showcase
it invented nylon in 1935, and modi- values at Covestro, notes the company, a new material for hoses. The new
fied it to become the worlds first true and coloration plays a central role in drinking-water-compliant DW/H series
engineering-grade polymer, at this years polycarbonates, one of its key product can be used as a PVC replacement mate-
Fakuma. The company is exhibiting in groups. In addition to a range of shades, rial for hoses in showers, dishwashers or
hall B4, booth 4201. fluorescent effects and transparently and related applications.
The company will demonstrate how translucently colored products are pos- The company has also developed TPE
Zytel nylon, coupled with DuPonts sible today. Rounding out the portfolio compounds for consumer applications
broad material portfolio and application are UV-resistant, light-fast and tailored that feature improved adhesion to engi-
development support in the form of infrared-absorbing grades. neering thermoplastics such as PC and
computer-aided engineering (CAE) can Covestro also will highlight its capa- ABS at an attractive price. Innovations
continue to create new growth oppor- bilities in precise surface formation, in materials for valves made of food-
tunities in a wide range of industries which can be achieved with dynamic compliant TPE also will be featured:
including automotive, electrical and elec- tempering during the injection molding The new compounds with FDA and EC
tronics, food and healthcare. process. The wall of the mold is heated 10/2011 food certifications feature effi-
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Fakuma Preview
cient processing in two-component injec- will not be bringing machinery to the hafen, we are going to show how mass-
tion molding processes, resilience and showeight Allrounders and three free- production parts can be customized and
reliable adhesion to hard components. formers will be running at booth 3101 traced back in a part-specific way using
Coinciding with Fakuma 2015, the in hall A3but the emphasis will be industrial additive manufacturing with
companys Thermolast V compounds on system integration, via the ALS host the freeformer.
will go into production. The material is computer system, and automation for The concept will be illustrated by the
increasingly specified for seals in under- efficient production applications. Nota- production of office scissors. First, an
the-hood and other demanding applica- bly, Arburg will showcase customization electric Allrounder 370 E molds plastic
tions. The new series features tempera- of mass-production parts by combining handles onto the stainless-steel blades.
ture resistance, improved compression set injection molding and additive manu- A code is laser printed on the assem-
and good adhesion to polyamides. facturing in concert with Industry 4.0 bly, and custom 2D or 3D lettering is
Kraiburg TPE will host a presentation technologies. Innovative lightweight applied with the laser or freeformer.
on the subject of adhesion technologies construction processes, multi-component A Multilift V robotic system inserts
on October 15 from 1:20 to 2 PM in the injection molding, LSR processing, prac- the scissors into the workpiece carrier
East Foyer. The presentation will address tical examples for medical and packaging and transports them out of the produc-
factors that affect the adhesion of TPE to technology and a micro production sys- tion cell via a conveyor belt. A scanner
hard components as well as the potential tem will also be part of the booth. then checks whether the scissors are to
to further improve material properties. We have been working on the sub- be issued to the visitor directly, or if
ject of Industry 4.0 for some time now. further processing is required using the
Arburg showcases mass With automated Allrounders, the free- freeformer.
customization former for additive manufacturing and Arburg will also debut a flexible
Arburg (Lossburg, Germany) plans to IT solutions, we are increasingly devel- automation solution in combination
shift focus at Fakuma 2015 beyond oping ourselves into a production system with the freeformer: A six-axis robot on
machine technology to a more holistic supplier for integrated production in the a mobile platform from Kuka will per-
vision of systems for plastic part produc- digital factory, said Arburg Managing form automatic loading and unloading
tion. Thats not to say that the company Partner Juliane Hehl. In Friedrichs- from the freeformer. In addition to its
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mobility and associated flexibility, the they work mostly independently based filters, designed for continuous pro-
main advantage of this automation is the on standard software. cessing of any kind of feedstock from
possibility of direct, autonomous coop- The flexible architecture enables sys- virgin material to heavily contaminated
eration between human and robot. The tems to be easily upgraded or downsized recycled plastic, at Fakuma 2015. The
robot will hand the finished, individu- to meet varying production needs. company is exhibiting at booth 6209 in
alized 2D and 3D scissors to Fakuma hall A6.
visitors. Mller introduces IML automation The recently introduced ECO melt
The Arburg ALS host computer sys- Swiss injection mold and in-mold label- filters were developed for film and sheet
tem seamlessly documents all relevant ing (IML) automation specialist H. Ml- extrusion. Rated for a maximum con-
process parameters and forwards these ler-Fabrique de Moules S.A. (Contey) taminant level of 1.5% by weight, they
to a web server. A web page displaying will present its new six-axis industrial enable cross-linked and high-molecular
process data can be opened via a unique robot at Fakuma 2015 in hall A4, booth melt fractions to be efficiently removed
code using mobile devices. Each indi- 4105. when processing virgin material, along
vidual part can be seamlessly tracked in The Flexstar system performs espe- with any gels or partial impurities. ECO
this way. cially well in low-volume to mid-size melt filters come in two sizes: The ECO
The company also plans to present runs, where frequent changes in SKUs, 200 for throughputs up to 1000 kg/h
physical foaming of thermoplastics for labels and format are required. It is and the ECO 250, which can process up
automotive applications. The Profoam equally well suited for use in product to 3000 kg/h. The filter can also be sup-
lightweight construction process has development, in pilot tests, market test plied as a PET version for filtering easy
been researched and developed with the phases and zero series production for fill flow melts such as polyester.
Institute for Plastics Processing. line validation, for example.
An electric two-component All- Cups and lids in all common shapes
rounder 470 A with a clamping force and sizes can be decorated in a reliable,
of 1,000 kN, a size 170 injection unit trouble-free manner. Depending on
and a second size 30 injection unit in an whether the products are gated from the
L-arrangement will manufacture buttons inside or outside, labels can be inserted
for car interiors from liquid silicone rub- in the cavity and finished parts removed
ber. Another 470 A molder will be pro- from either the stationary or moveable
ducing y connectors for an infusion ther- half of the mold.
apy device using an eight-cavity mold The system has a surprisingly small
from Mnner. The cycle time is around footprint and a modular architecture. Ettlinger will showcase its recently introduced ECO
melt filters at Fakuma 2015.
15 seconds. The highlight of this appli- The robot is capable of performing
cation is side injection through a needle- minor assembly steps or inserting auxil-
type shut-off nozzle and demolding from iary parts, and the unit can be equipped The ERF melt filters, proven in
three sides of the PMMA molded parts, with a vision control system, stacker or more than 225 installations, are espe-
each weighing 1.1 grams. packaging module, as needed. cially effective for heavily contaminated
Up to four cavity applications can be feedstock. Reliable, pressure-stable, con-
Hekuma features modularity accommodated. The robot has been continuous processing is guaranteed with
Manufacturer of high-performance figured for dynamic insertion: Before the up to 18% contamination by weight.
automation systems Hekuma (Eching, mold is completely open, the gripping The ERF500 is the largest and achieves
Germany) will demonstrate how modu- arm advances into the machine. The throughputs of up to 6 tons per hour.
larity principles can be adapted to the labels are inserted in the mold and the ERF filters are available in three sizes:
development of individually customized finished parts are removed and stacked. In addition to the ERF 500, the compa-
systems. In development since 2013, the Subsequently, new labels are picked up ny offers the ERF 250 with a maximum
newly developed HEKUflex concept will from the magazines and the gripping throughput of 3 tons per hour and ERF
be presented for the first time at Fakuma arm returns to its waiting position. To 200, which can process up to 1 ton per
at booth 7305 in hall A7. date, the robot has been configured hour.
The benefits of standardization with for injection molding machines up to A key feature common to both filter
HEKUflex are apparent throughout the approximately 2500 kN; additional series is their longevity. Whereas conven-
entire engineering process, says the com- versions for larger injection molding tional piston screen changers can require
pany. Identical modules are used to a machines are under development. many screen changes per day, the ECO
large extent, allowing manufacturers and and ERF models achieve a service life
operators to achieve high repetition rates Ettlinger shows array of melt of several weeks with no disruptions to
and a reduction in commissioning and filters production.
training. Unlike custom machine set ups, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen (Knigs- The central component of both
which can be laborious, the individual brunn, Germany) will show its com- series is a rotating, cylindrical filter
modules only need to be configured, as plete range of high-performance melt screen with millions of conical holes.
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Fakuma Preview
When melt flows through these filters, products, provides customers with engi- machines, achieving a substantial reduc-
contaminants are retained on the out- neered solutions across three businesses: tion in operating costs.
side of the screen while the cleaned Advanced Plastics Processing Technolo- Following the launch of Klear Can
melt on the inside of the drum travels gies, Melt Delivery and Control Systems at NPE, where it publicly demonstrated
to the downstream pelletizing machine and Fluid Technologies. for the first time a co-injection system
or mold via a system of flow channels. Milacron has announced that the for Klear Can production, Milacron will
The rotary motion of the filter drum Magna T machine will be launched have a co-injection display at Fakuma.
simultaneously supports the blending in the European market at Fakuma. Klear Can is a multilayer plastic can
effect and ensures optimal homogeneity Combining the advantages of a precise that will replace metal food cans for the
in the melt. and accurate toggle mechanism with packaging of long shelf-life items such
With every revolution, the slowly advanced user-friendly controls, the as fruits, vegetables, fish and meats.
rotating filter screen is cleaned by a Magna T Servo is a high-value injec- Milacrons co-injection systems also will
scraper. The particles that are removed tion molding machine. Reduced heat display its white/black/white technology
from the surface of the screen are con- generation results in longer life for the for PET preforms aimed at the dairy and
tinuously fed to a discharge system. hydraulic components and enhanced oil light-sensitive beverages markets. This
life, while the head load on the factory innovative technology will allow the
Milacron features integrated floor and cooling water consumption expansion of PET into this market space,
products and services is reduced. The Magna Toggle 200 at which is currently dominated by multi-
Milacron Inc. (Cincinnati) will high- the booth will be equipped with a mold layer carton technologies.
light integrated plastics solutions that it from Austrian moldmaker Haidlmair Other show highlights at the Mila-
offers through its brandsFerromatik, and will produce a high-end polypro- cron booth will include the launch of
Mold-Masters, Uniloy, Dme, Tirad pylene storage container. The parts will an e-commerce site; the introduction of
and Cimcool and feature various new handled by a robotic take out system. Milacron Direct, a catalogue that will
processing technologies at booth 3202 in Milacron also will launch the Elek- serve as a one-stop shop for all Milacron
hall B3 at Fakuma 2015. The company tron Evolution at the event. The system products; the Summit-Series of hot run-
will illustrate how its new integrated uses 60% less energy and 90% less ners from Mold-Masters; and much
approach, as well as its rich portfolio of water than hydraulic injection molding more.
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New Products
Product Showcase
Inclined ejection unit facilitates which is particularly beneficial in a labo- High-power CNC router makes
demolding ratory environment developing multiple the cut for plastics processors
Need a new and easy way to eject under- products over wide screw rpm ranges. Techno CNC Systems LLC (Ronkon-
cut parts without using a slide?Meus- The ZSE-18 features segmented koma, NY) recently introduced its new
burgerGeorg GmbH & Co KG (Wol- stainless-steel screws assembled on high- Venture Plus CNC router series, which
furt, Austria) has a solution: The E 3248 torque splined shafts and has a 72-NM it describes as an affordably priced,
inclined ejection unit used in combina- torque rating. It achieves speeds of 1200 high-power tool designed for production
tion with the E 32481 ejector. rpm and higher. Modular stainless-steel shops that need to streamline the plastics
barrels with a tie-rod assembly system fabrication process.
facilitate quick changes. A gearbox The Venture Plus is precisely engi-
positioning plate allows gearbox repo- neered and is easy to operate. Versatile
sitioning to shorter/longer L/Ds, and and rugged, the router is able to handle
a cantilevered front-end allows use of cutting, drilling and carving while deliv-
front-end gear pumps and other devices. ering highly polished accuracy with an
Quick-clamp assembly mates the process ultra-smooth edge finish, according to
section to the gearbox for accelerated the company. Tool components include
changeovers, and the unit has rapid elec- a 12-HP HSD automatic tool changer
trical and plumbing connections. spindle with eight-tool rotary carousel,
Because of its short height, the The extruder is available for testing at a four-zone vacuum table, 10-HP rotary
inclined ejection unit can be installed the Leistritz process laboratory. It can be vane pump and material alignment pop-
inside the ejector set in a space-saving mated with pelletizing, tube, filament, up pins.
manner. The high-quality material and film and/or sheet downstream systems. A PC-based OSAI industrial control-
precise design of this product minimizes ler, Delta ac servo motors and drives,
wear. An optimal match, also available Elastomer-coated grippers wont helical rack and pinion, pneumatic
from Meusburger, is the E 3249 support scratch fragile workpieces retractable dust hood and tool calibration
plate, which may serve as an additional Sprue grippers with elastomer-coated pad are standard features, as is Technos
guiding element. The entire product jaws have been introduced by FIPA Inc. comprehensive CNC interface.
range for quick demolding of complex (Cary, NC). An extension of the com-
parts is available from stock. panys 100 Series, the technically opti- Hardware-free extrusion head
mized GR04.100-HNBR devices gently speeds cleaning and restart
Servomotor-equipped twin-screw grip workpieces without scratching even operations
extruder suited for cleanroom use the most delicate materials, making them Guill Tool (West Warwick, RI) has
Designed for cleanroom use, the ZSE suitable for removing workpieces from introduced an extrusion head that is
18-mm co-rotating twin-screw extruder injection molding machines. notable for a feature it doesnt have
from Leistritz (Somerville, NJ) has been Featuring high closing force, a wide
improved with the addition of a sealed, opening and gap-free gripper jaws that
enable the secure handling of both large
and thin workpieces, the new 100 Series
grippers are made of high-strength anod-
ized aluminum alloy. The jaws are com-
pletely coated with hydrogenated nitrile
butadiene rubber (HNBR) on all sides,
an industry first, according to the com-
pany. The HNBR elastomer coating will
not leave markings on plastic parts that
could interfere with painting or coating
brushless ac servomotor, says the com- operations.
pany. The new motor is significantly Medium-sized grippers for custom,
quieter than standard motors, and servo- interchangeable jaws, models with
motor technology facilitates a 1000:1 HNBR-padded inner jaws and grippers hardware. By eliminating fastening hard-
turndown with 0.01% speed accuracy, with or without sensors are also available. ware on the Bullet, Guill claims that it
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YO U R H A L L M A RK O F MI CRO BI AL PROTECTI O N
SANAFOR antimicrobial technology offers safe and effective built-in

protection against odor, stain and degradation of plastics and textiles,
together with the antimicrobial protection that puts everyone at ease.
www.sanafor.info info@sanafor.com
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New Products
has made cleaning and restart easier and domestic products like vacuum clean- Heavily lubricated versions are avail-
faster than would be possible with a con- ers and kitchen appliances. Custom- able to eliminate post-mold lubricant
ventional head. ized variations on the standard grades application.
The Bullet enables quick tooling physical properties requirements, such Elastocon offers high-performance
changes, as the tips are removed from the as flame retardant versions, are also TPE products across seven product
back while the die comes off from the offered by the company. families that include filled, unfilled
front of the unit. The absence of fasten- Axions AxpolyPE51 1090 is a new and oil-free types for medical use.
ing hardware eliminates leaking, as does grade of polyethylene offering carbon
the tapered body and deflector design savings of 53% versus virgin grades. Werth 3D Fiber Probe measures
pioneered by Guill. With properties similar to HDPE, it around the corner
The extrusion head is suited for both is suitable for products such as pallets, In an age when manufactured compo-
high- and low-volume applications, boxes and shipping containers or other nents are heading into the realm of the
which are accommodated by the simple, general purpose molded items where micro and even nano scale, quality assur-
easy replacement of a single component. durability and good water resistance are
Various crosshead designs are available, required characteristics.
and users can specify the caliber, or max- The third new grade is a high flexur-
imum inner diameter, of the die. al modulus polypropylene called Axpoly
A vacuum chamber and kit for assem- PP51 1093, strong enough to withstand
bly and disassembly are included with an applied top load without flexing.
the unit. Optional keyed tooling capa- According to Axion, it is ideal for con-
bility offers machine designers and end struction and civil engineering applica-
users quick orientation, so the overall tions, such as internal support structures
unit design enables faster disassembly, for rainwater drainage tanks.
cleaning and restart.
Elastomer grade targets ance is becoming challenging. Werth
Three new recycled polymer consumer, industrial applications Inc. (Old Saybrook, CT), a supplier of
grades from Axion Polymers Elastocon TPE Technologies Inc. (Roch- dimensional measurement technology
As the market for both recycled and ester, IL) has expanded its offerings of instruments and optics, has a new solu-
engineering plastics continues to expand, thermoplastic elastomers with the intro- tion. The Werth Fiber Probe (WFP) has
UK-based Axion Polymers (Manches- duction of a new grade in its general opened up the world of microstructures
ter), one of the most advanced plastics purpose 8000 Series. The newly formu- for tactile coordinate metrology.
recycling facilities in Europe, offers the lated 8078B grade is suited for consumer Low contact forces of less than one
best of both worlds. The company has milli-newton and small probe spheres
announced the launch of three new down to 20 microns in diameter make
Axpoly polymer grades recycled from the 3D WFP suitable for use on pre-
end-of-life automotive and WEEE cision-engineered components and on
resources. Development and the intro- sensitive surfaces.
duction of the new ABS, PE and PP This capability previously was avail-
grades came on the heels of the com- able only with straight probe pins,
panys further investment in its refinery according to the company. The L-probes
plant to increase extrusion capacity and that are now available can measure
improve melt filtration technology. and industrial applications. Instrument undercuts, small side bores and even
The newest grade of postconsumer panels, as shown, is one potential appli- internal threads.
recycled ABS engineering polymer is cation for the material. The L-probes have sphere diameters
being marketed under the name Axpoly The material can be injection from 0.040 to 0.250 mm. The standard
ABS52 1000, and, according to Axion, molded, extruded or blowmolded, offset between the probe sphere and shaft
offers significant carbon savings of 70% and even overmolded (onto polypro- measures about 1.5 mm; other offsets are
when compared with virgin plastics. It pylene) for products that call for also available.
is said to be suitable for molding parts rubber-like properties (Shore A 82) With modular control and software
that require durability, longevity, strong and a good surface finish. It is avail- integration, the new Werth Fiber Probe
puncture strength and good dimensional able in black pellets in 1,000 lb. can be used in scanning or single-point
stability, such as automotive trim com- quantities and is readily available from mode. To take advantage of the precision
ponents like car wing mirrors, car bum- Elastocon inventory. of the sensor, the company recommends
pers and related assemblies. Among the features, options and using it with high-precision machines,
The new ABS also boasts good benefits are: Flow properties to enable such as the VideoCheck UA, and with a
electrical insulation properties, mak- complex part design; impact resistance; 3D maximum permissible error down to
ing it suitable for use in enclosures for and cold weather and UV stability. 300 nanometers.
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Global Plastics operates nearly transparently with the
polymer matrix to produce packaging
Directory 2015
films with extremely low haze while
retaining high gloss and clarity. MIN-
BLOC additions to greenhouse cover
and other horticultural film applica-
Compression molding Bunting Magnetics Co. is a recognized tions maximize visible light transmit-
industry leader in the manufacturing of tance to accelerate plant growth and
magnetic separation equipment, metal reflect infrared radiation to maintain
detection and material handling sys- optimal growth temperatures and
tems for the plastics industry. Bunting reduce space heating requirements.
offers a full line of magnetic separa- www.plasticfilmadditives.com
tion and metal detection equipment
greenerd press & that will either mount at the throats of
machine Company, inc. processing machines or inline with the
41 Crown St. product stream to capture ferrous and pUrge CompoUnd(s)
Nashua, NH 03061, United States non-ferrous contaminants while pro-
T: 603/8889-4101, 800/877-9110
PHOENIX
tecting your equipment and the purity
F: 608/889-7601 of your product. Bunting material han-
tlavoie@greenerd.com
www.greenerd.com
dling equipment will get you produc- Plastics

tive and profitable results in every situ-
Founded in New England in 1883, ation by moving your material where
Greenerd has manufactured thousands phoenix plastics
you need it, quickly and efficiently. For
of high-quality hydraulic presses since 5400 Jefferson Chemical Road,
more information visit www.bunting-
1934 and has extensive expertise in Conroe, TX 77301, United States
magnetics.com or call 800/835-2526.
designing and building presses for a T: 866/760-2311
wide range of compression molding F: 936/760-2322
applications. Greenerd compression phoenix@phoenixplastics.com
molding solutions are installed in many minerals
industries, including automotive, medi- Cel-Span Purge: A product lineup for
cal, aerospace, defense, marine, indus- every resin type and process tempera-
trial and more. The Greenerd compres- ture. Let us help you with a solution
sion molding series features a unique that will work better for you and
de-gassing cycle that evacuates gasses minerals will not burn out along with your
from the mold while the part is curing, process.
which relieves pressure inside the mold Unimin Corporation We have developed purge formula-
and ensures the highest part quality. 258 Elm St. tions for clear PC that will keep the
Visit the Greenerd compression mold- New Canaan, CT 06840, United States transparency of your polycarbonate
ing showroom at www.greenerd.com/ T: 203/966-8880 without having to purge the purge.
applications/showroom/compression- F: 203/966-3453 Avoid having to allow soaking time on
molding.aspx. inquiries@unimin.com your purge procedure.
Phoenix Plastics specializes in purg-
MINBLOC plastic film additives ing compounds and additives for the
magnetiC separation & from UNIMIN Specialty Minerals, plastics industry.
metal deteCtion Inc. are produced from derivatives of Call us at 936/760-2311 or visit us at
high purity natural mineral feedstocks. www.phoenixplastics.com/purge.html.
With refractive indices that parallel
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Bunting magnetics Co. PlasticsToday publishes a daily

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Newton, KS 67114-0468,
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United States
Subscribe to these e-newsletters Stay current with news and insights from
T: 316/284-2020; 800/835-2526
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www.buntingmagnetics.com www.plasticstoday.com
64 NPe showcase
Global Plastics 20XX
RePoRt 2015 Plasticstoday.com
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ad index
Advertiser PAge Number Advertiser PAge Number Advertiser PAge Number
Adeka Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Engel North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Messe Dsseldorf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Asaclean Sun Plastech Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Epicor Software Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Mold-Masters Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Borche North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Ewikon Molding Technologies Inc. . . . . . 67

Nissei ASB Machine Co., Ltd. . . . . . . . . . 13
Braunform Gmbh Kunststoff . . . . . . . . . . 38 Gamma Meccanica North America . . . . . 53

PCS Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Burger & Brown Engineering. . . . . . . . . . 36 Guill Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Polymer Alliance Zone Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Cadence Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Sepro America LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Canon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Husky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 35
Sigma Plastic Services Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Cold Jet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 IHS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Tinius Olsen Testing Machine Co., Inc. . 29
Davis-Standard LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 IMS Industrial Molding Supplies . . . . . . . 16
Tool-Temp AG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
DME Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Janssen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Dri-Air Industries Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Lorenz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Ushio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
eFACTOR3 LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Mathelin Bay Associates LLC . . . . . . . . . . 37 Wittmann Battenfeld Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
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plasticstoday.com Global plastics RepoRt 2015 65
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editoRsssHot
PaRtiNG letteR
The (manufacturing) emperors new clothes

The recenT sTock markeT slide is bring- In short, as the ITIF has shown, over 33% of Americas
ing to light some truths that have long manufacturing job losses in the 2000s was caused by a funda-
been suspected by manufacturers and mental lack of competitiveness and not by productivity gains
economists alike: The emperor is naked. or sectoral shifts. Despite this, the CRS report asserts that U.S.
On August 24, the Information manufacturing output is at an all-time high.
Technology & Innovation Foundation In its critique of the CRS report, the ITIF says that the
Clare Goldsberry (ITIF) published a critique of the Con- report errs in how it compares U.S. manufacturing output to
gressional Research Service (CRS) report, that of other nations. Rather than being the second strongest
U.S. Manufacturing in International Perspective, noting in the world, U.S. manufacturing output is smaller than that
that the CRS has got it all wrong when it comes to the U.S. of other nations with comparable levels of development when
manufacturing sector. The CRS report mistakenly suggests examined as a share of GDP. The U.S. went from producing
that U.S. manufacturing is healthy, while dismissing the need 29% of the worlds manufacturing to just 17% in a little over a
for supportive manufacturing, said the ITIF in A Critique of decade, says the ITIF.
CRSs U.S. Manufacturing in International Perspective. Clearly, the United States isnt doing well. That was borne
The rosy picture painted by the CRS report leads it to deny out in August 2015, as the stock market dropped, with many
that American manufacturing is in trouble or that congressio- calling out China as a major cause. If that seems surprising to
nal action is capable of helping it. The CRS consistently errs many who believed Chinas strong economic numbers, an arti-
on the side of all is well when, in fact, actual U.S. manufac- cle on the front page of the August 25 issue of the Wall Street
turing performance is declining, says the ITIF. Journal, For All Its Heft, Chinas Economy Is a Black Box,
The ITIF points to the huge jobs losses in manufacturing. says otherwise. The article, by Greg Ip and Bob Davis, notes
Measuring these losses from 2003 distorts the picture. Measur- that Chinas murky politics, unreliable data and opaque deci-
ing from 2000 to 2003, the U.S. experienced a recession and sion making are cause to doubt Chinas strength. Economists
lost 16% of its manufacturing jobs; unlike other sectors, this widely doubt that China grew at a robust 7% in the second
employment was not added back during the recovery. Between quarter, as the countrys official statistics say, write Ip and
2000 and 2013, manufacturing realized a net loss of 5.2 mil- Davis. Some think the rate might be as little as half that.
lion jobs. The ITIF notes that manufacturing jobs should be Obviously, many economists in the United States doubted
expected to increase on par with growth in the overall labor the stock market numbers, calling it a bubble and claiming that
force, which grew 3.7% from 2003 to 2013, resulting in a many stocks were over-valued. Today, some economists are
comparative decline of manufacturing jobs in this period of calling the recent drop a badly needed correction to this bub-
20.3%. But the actual manufacturing job loss percentage from ble, a reality check for those who thought the U.S. economy
2000 to 2013 is 30%, a sign of decline, says the ITIF. was booming.
Its also been noted by many reports that American manu- The ITIF concluded that the health of U.S. manufactur-
facturing productivity has been extremely high, and that weve ing is much shakier than the CRS report suggests, and it calls
experienced good productivity gains over the past 13 years. The on Congress to proactively advance legislation to give U.S.
ITIF points out, however, that these gains are driven by just a manufacturing a boost and help U.S. manufacturers prosper.
few industries, including computers and electronic products, Failure to do so will lead to more of the same loss of manufac-
motor vehicles and transport equipment, and primary metals. turing jobs and output, with negative impacts on overall U.S.
Since 2005, manufacturing output has shrunk by 2%. And economic growth.
these measures do not account for other factors, such as import Perhaps were beginning to see through the manufacturing
substitution price bias, which also appear to have artificially emperors new clothes, and discovering what truly lies beneath.
overstated manufacturing output. Clare Goldsberry
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Nearshoring report Business trends Fakuma 2015

Molders move to Mexico Making sustainability pay Show preview

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